Diagnostic Accuracy of MRI in Knee Meniscus Tear and ACL Injury.

Objective: Knee injuries are very common and may lead to other secondary injuries if effective treatment is lacking. In addition to standardized physical examination, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is sometimes considered an aid in the diagnosis of knee trauma. In order to have a more accurate diagnosis of knee injuries, we compared MRI with arthroscopic findings in this study to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of MRI for meniscal tears and anterior cruciate ligament injuries of the knee. Methods: One hundred and ten patients with suspected meniscal tears and anterior cruciate ligament injuries of the knee who were admitted to our hospital from June 2020 to June 2022 were selected as study subjects, and the clinical data of the patients were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent MRI for preoperative diagnosis, and the sensitivity, specificity, MRI findings, and confirmation of diagnosis were compared and analyzed, and the accuracy of MRI in diagnosing meniscal tears and ACL injuries of the knee was analyzed. Results: The mean ACL angle was (98.0 ± 5.4) in the MRI group and (118.0 ± 6.8) in the arthroscopic group, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant P < .05. The mean L/H value of the ACL was (2.12 ± 0.38) in the MRI group and (1.81 ± 0.19) in the arthroscopic group, which was statistically different between the two groups (P < .05). Among the patients, 68 meniscal injuries were found in the MRI examination, including 45 cases of knee meniscal tears and 23 cases of anterior cruciate ligament injuries. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, agreement rate, kappa value, and Youden index of MRI in diagnosing meniscal tears and ACL injuries were all high. Conclusions: In terms of sensitivity and accuracy, MRI is an excellent imaging technique for the diagnosis of meniscal tears and anterior cruciate ligament injuries of the knee.

Application of 3D-Printed Personalized Guide for Lateral Femoral Positioning in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction of the Knee.

Objective: This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of 3D computer-assisted customized guided positioning of the lateral femoral tunnel compared to conventional methods for Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery. Methods: A total of 80 patients with a complete ACL tear who underwent arthroscopic reconstruction with autologous tendon transplantation (semitendinosus-gracilis tendon) were included in this study. The patients were admitted to our hospital between March 2020 and January 2022 and were randomly divided into two groups: the conventional group (n = 40) and the personalized guide group (n = 40), based on the positioning method. The conventional group underwent ACL restoration using standard surgical techniques, while the personalized guide group opted for the more precise computer-assisted personalized guide method. The lateral femoral tunnel times were compared between both groups. Additionally, the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) and Lysholm scores were assessed, and the lateral femoral location was evaluated using X-ray imaging at 2 weeks postoperatively. Results: After surgery, both groups showed a statistically significant increase (P < .05) in Lysholm and IKDC scores compared to their pre-surgery scores. However, the two groups had no evident difference (P > .05). X-ray evaluation at 2 weeks post-surgery revealed no significant difference between the two groups in NL/ML, AL/BL, α, and ß angles (P > .05). The preparation time for the femoral tunnel was significantly shorter in the personalized guide group (6.18 ± 0.92 min) compared to the traditional group (15.94 ± 3.12 min) (P < .05). Conclusions: The computer-assisted 3D personalized guide positioning method is more effective in locating the lateral femoral tunnel for ACL reconstruction of the knee and can substantially reduce the positioning time. This study provides valuable insights for clinicians when selecting surgical methods.

Beneficial effects of manually assisted chiropractic adjusting instrument in a rabbit model of osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease characterized by injury of all joint tissues. Our previous study showed that in experimental osteoporosis, chiropractic manipulation (CM) exerts protective effects on bone. We here assessed whether CM might ameliorate OA by improving subchondral bone sclerosis, cartilage integrity and synovitis. Male New-Zealand rabbits underwent knee surgery to induce OA by anterior cruciate ligament injury. CM was performed using the chiropractic instrument ActivatorV 3 times/week for 8 weeks as follows: force 2 setting was applied to the tibial tubercle of the rabbit right hind limb (TM-OA), whereas the corresponding left hind limb received a false manipulation (FM-OA) consisting of ActivatorV firing in the air and slightly touching the tibial tubercle. After sacrifice, subchondral bone integrity was assessed in the tibiae by microCT and histology. Cartilage damage and synovitis were estimated by Mankin's and Krenn's scores, respectively, and histological techniques. Bone mineral density and content in both cortical and trabecular compartments of subchondral bone decreased in OA rabbits compared to controls, but partially reversed in the TM-OA group. Trabecular bone parameters in the latter group also showed a significant improvement compared to FM-OA group. Moreover RANKL, OPG, ALP and TRAP protein expression in subchondral bone significantly decreased in TM-OA rabbits with respect to FM-OA group. CM was associated with lower Mankin's and Krenn's scores and macrophage infiltrate together with a decreased protein expression of pro-inflammatory, fibrotic and angiogenic factors, in TM-OA rabbits with respect to FM-OA. Our results suggest that CM may mitigate OA progression by improving subchondral bone as well as cartilage and synovial membrane status.

RegentK and Physiotherapy Support Knee Function after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture without Surgery after 1 Year: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Recent data have opened the debate on whether conservative treatment of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture might be an alternative treatment option to surgery. In a previous study, such a conservative treatment, i.e. 'Regenerative Therapy According to Mohammed Khalifa' (RegentK), had shown good effects over physiotherapy. METHODS: This was a randomized controlled trial assessing the efficacy of 1 session of RegentK compared to the myofascial mobilization technique (MMT), another type of intensive physiotherapy, in 20 patients with fresh ACL rupture during the previous 4 weeks. The International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) 2000 score was measured before, immediately after, and 3 months after treatment, and 1 year later; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were taken before treatment and 1 year after treatment. RESULTS: Both groups were comparable at baseline. A repeated measures analysis of variance showed a strong effect of time (p < 0.0001; partial η2 = 0.81) and no significant interaction or group effect. Both groups reached near full function after 1 year. The IKDC score was 90.9 (standard deviation (SD) 6.7; 95% confidence interval (CI) 86.2-95.6) for the RegentK group and 93.3 (SD 3.1; 95% CI 91.1-95.5) for the MMT group. CONCLUSION: One treatment session of enhanced MMT physiotherapy or RegentK can lead to nearly full function and thus recovery of a ruptured ACL after 1 year.

Chitosan in viscosupplementation: in vivo effect on rabbit subchondral bone.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the effect of intra-articular injection of Chitosan (Cs) added to hyaluronic acid (HA) on subchondral bone during osteoarthritis (OA), microarchitectural parameters and mineral density were measured in a rabbit model of early OA. A novel hybrid hydrogel adding reacetylated Cs of fungal origin to HA was compared to high molecular weight HA commercial formulation. METHOD: Eighteen rabbits underwent unilateral anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) and were divided into three groups (Saline-group, HA-group and Hybrid-group) depending on the intra-articular injection compound. Eight contralateral knees were used as non-operated controls (Contralateral-group). Micro-computed tomography was performed six weeks post-ACLT to study subchondral bone microarchitectural parameters and mineral density at an early stage of OA development. RESULTS: Cartilage thickness mean value was reduced only in Saline-group compared to Contralateral-group. When the Hybrid-group was compared to Saline-group, subchondral bone microarchitectural parameters (trabecular thickness and trabecular bone volume fraction) were significantly changed; subchondral bone plate and trabecular bone mineral densities (bone mineral density and tissue mineral density) were reduced. When the Hybrid-group was compared to HA-group, subchondral bone microarchitectural parameters (subchondral plate thickness and trabecular thickness) and trabecular bone mineral densities (bone mineral density and tissue mineral density) were significantly decreased. CONCLUSION: Conclusion: Compared to HA alone, the novel hybrid hydrogel, constituted of Cs added to HA, enhanced microarchitectural parameters and mineral density changes, leading to subchondral bone loss in a rabbit model of early experimental OA.