A Single-Surgeon 35-Year Experience With ACL Reconstruction Using Patellar Tendon Auto- and Allografts With the Transtibial Technique.

Background: Long-term follow-up for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is limited due to heterogeneity in the number of techniques utilized, the number of surgeons included, and attrition bias. Purpose: To analyze a single surgeon's 35-year experience with ACLR using the transtibial technique, with an emphasis on temporal trends in graft selection and subanalyses on rates of revision surgery, contralateral ACLR, and nonrevision reoperation among different demographic cohorts of patients. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: All patients who underwent arthroscopically assisted single-bundle ACLR between 1986 and 2021 were identified from a prospectively maintained single-surgeon registry. Outcomes of interest included revision, reoperation, and contralateral rupture rates. Results: A total of 2915 ACLRs were performed during the senior surgeon's career. The mean age for primary ACLR was 29.4 ± 14.8 years. During primary ACLR, 98.4% of patients received a central-third bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) graft. Increasing patient age was associated with increasing allograft usage (P < .01), with a significant temporal increase in allograft usage over the senior surgeon's career (P < .01). There was a higher revision rate among younger patients (P < .01), female patients aged 21 to 25 years (P = .01), and patients who received an allograft during the primary procedure (P = .04). The contralateral rupture rate showed no difference between sexes (P = .34); however, patients who underwent ACLR with autograft had a greater rate of contralateral injury compared with those with allograft (P < .01). The contralateral rupture rate was greater than the revision rate (P < .01). The most common causes of nonrevision reoperation were failed meniscal repair, new meniscal tears, arthrofibrosis, and painful hardware removal. Conclusion: The findings of this single-surgeon registry reveal temporal trends in ACLR over a 35-year career. There was a trend toward increasing BPTB allograft use in ACLR, especially in older patients and revision cases. A greater revision rate was observed among younger patients, female patients, and those receiving allografts during primary surgery. Contralateral ACLR was more common than revision surgery.

Accuracy assessment of ChatGPT responses to frequently asked questions regarding anterior cruciate ligament surgery.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) has allowed users to have access to large sources of information in a chat-like manner. Thereby, we sought to evaluate ChatGPT-4 response's accuracy to the 10 patient most frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery. METHODS: A list of the top 10 FAQs pertaining to ACL surgery was created after conducting a search through all Sports Medicine Fellowship Institutions listed on the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) and American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine (AOSSM) websites. A Likert scale was used to grade response accuracy by two sports medicine fellowship-trained surgeons. Cohen's kappa was used to assess inter-rater agreement. Reproducibility of the responses over time was also assessed. RESULTS: Five of the 10 responses received a 'completely accurate' grade by two-fellowship trained surgeons with three additional replies receiving a 'completely accurate' status by at least one. Moreover, inter-rater reliability accuracy assessment revealed a moderate agreement between fellowship-trained attending physicians (weighted kappa = 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.15-0.99). Additionally, 80% of the responses were reproducible over time. CONCLUSION: ChatGPT can be considered an accurate additional tool to answer general patient questions regarding ACL surgery. None the less, patient-surgeon interaction should not be deferred and must continue to be the driving force for information retrieval. Thus, the general recommendation is to address any questions in the presence of a qualified specialist.

ChatGPT Can Offer At Least Satisfactory Responses to Common Patient Questions Regarding Hip Arthroscopy.

PURPOSE: To assess the accuracy of answers provided by ChatGPT 4.0 (an advanced language model developed by OpenAI) regarding 25 common patient questions about hip arthroscopy. METHODS: ChatGPT 4.0 was presented with 25 common patient questions regarding hip arthroscopy with no follow-up questions and repetition. Each response was evaluated by two board-certified orthopaedic sports medicine surgeons, independently. Responses were rated as scores 1, 2, 3 and 4 corresponded to "excellent response not requiring clarification", "satisfactory requiring minimal clarification", "satisfactory requiring moderate clarification", and "unsatisfactory requiring substantial clarification", respectively. RESULTS: Twenty responses were rated "excellent" and 2 responses were rated "satisfactory requiring minimal clarification" by both of reviewers. Responses to questions "What kind of anesthesia is used for hip arthroscopy" and "What is the average age for hip arthroscopy?" were the two that both reviewers rated as "satisfactory requiring minimal clarification". None of the responses were rated as "satisfactory requiring moderate clarification" or "unsatisfactory" by either of the reviewers. CONCLUSIONS: ChatGPT 4.0 provides at least satisfactory responses to patient questions regarding hip arthroscopy. Under the supervision of an orthopaedic sports medicine surgeon it could be used as a supplementary tool for patient education. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study compared the answers of ChatGPT to patients' questions regarding hip arthroscopy with the current literature. As ChatGPT have gained popularity among patients, the study aimed to find if the responses patients get from this chatbot is compatible with the up-to-date literature.

Multiligament knee injury (MLKI): an expert consensus statement on nomenclature, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation.

Multiligament knee injuries (MLKIs) represent a broad spectrum of pathology with potentially devastating consequences. Currently, disagreement in the terminology, diagnosis and treatment of these injuries limits clinical care and research. This study aimed to develop consensus on the nomenclature, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation strategies for patients with MLKI, while identifying important research priorities for further study. An international consensus process was conducted using validated Delphi methodology in line with British Journal of Sports Medicine guidelines. A multidisciplinary panel of 39 members from 14 countries, completed 3 rounds of online surveys exploring aspects of nomenclature, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and future research priorities. Levels of agreement (LoA) with each statement were rated anonymously on a 5-point Likert scale, with experts encouraged to suggest modifications or additional statements. LoA for consensus in the final round were defined 'a priori' if >75% of respondents agreed and fewer than 10% disagreed, and dissenting viewpoints were recorded and discussed. After three Delphi rounds, 50 items (92.6%) reached consensus. Key statements that reached consensus within nomenclature included a clear definition for MLKI (LoA 97.4%) and the need for an updated MLKI classification system that classifies injury mechanism, extent of non-ligamentous structures injured and the presence or absence of dislocation. Within diagnosis, consensus was reached that there should be a low threshold for assessment with CT angiography for MLKI within a high-energy context and for certain injury patterns including bicruciate and PLC injuries (LoA 89.7%). The value of stress radiography or intraoperative fluoroscopy also reached consensus (LoA 89.7%). Within treatment, it was generally agreed that existing literature generally favours operative management of MLKI, particularly for young patients (LoA 100%), and that single-stage surgery should be performed whenever possible (LoA 92.3%). This consensus statement will facilitate clinical communication in MLKI, the care of these patients and future research within MLKI.

International medical graduates (IMGs) matching into US orthopaedic surgery residency: a fifteen year analysis of trends in applications and geographical distribution.

PURPOSE: International Medical Graduates (IMGs) face challenges in securing orthopaedic surgery residencies in the U.S. This study examines residency matching trends and geographic distribution for U.S. and non-U.S. citizen IMGs. METHODS: The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) data from 2008 to 2022 were analyzed for USMLE scores, publication counts, and match rates, using linear regression. The proportion of non-US IMGs in orthopaedic surgery residency was compared with the foreign-born population of each region based on the 2021 American Community Survey. RESULTS: The overall IMG fill rate decreased significantly from 2.04% in 2008 to 1.26% in 2022 (P = 0.002). The number of publications for matched US IMGs was at least three times that of matched MD seniors and about two times that of unmatched US IMGs. Matched non-US IMGs had approximately five and three times the number of publications as matched MD seniors and unmatched non-US IMGs, respectively. Mississippi had the highest IMG-to-all-filled-position ratio (6.7%) and New York matched the most IMGs (36 residents). Although the foreign-born population comprises approximately 13.72% of the US population, non-US IMGs accounted for less than 1% of total matched residents. When compared to the foreign-born population, non-US IMGs were underrepresented in the US. This underrepresentation was observed in all nine geographic divisions, particularly in the West South Central and Pacific regions. CONCLUSIONS: While IMGs constitute a low percentage of matched MDs in orthopaedic surgery, they show three to five times more publications than MD seniors. IMGs should recognize the importance of higher publication numbers in the matching process as well as states with higher IMG matching rates.

ACL Reconstruction in Patients Over Fifty Years of Age Results in Improvements in Functional Outcomes and Broad Complication Rates: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: To assess the patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs), functional knee measures, and incidence of complications in patients aged 50 and older undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). METHODS: A literature search was conducted across PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases, spanning from their inception to November 2023, in accordance with the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Inclusion criteria consisted of clinical studies reporting PROMs, measures of knee stability, and complication rates, following ACLR in patients aged ≥ 50 with minimum 2 year follow-up. The Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS) criteria was used to assess study quality. Primary outcome measures consisted of changes PROMs and complication rates following ACLR. RESULTS: A total of 17 studies, consisting of 1,163 patients undergoing ACLR were identified. Autografts were utilized in 90.3% of patients, compared to 9.7% of patients treated using allografts. At minimum 24-month follow-up, the mean International Knee Documentation Score (IKDC) ranged from 67.4 to 92.96, while mean Lysholm scores ranged from 84.4 to 94.8, and mean Tegner scores ranged from 0.3 to 5.4. The mean side to side difference at final follow-up ranged from 1.2 to 2.4mm while the rates of recurrent instability ranged from 0 to 18%. Complications and revisions ranged from 0% to 40.4% and 0% to 37.5% of cases, with the highest rates observed in studies noting a high incidence of intraoperative cartilage lesions. CONCLUSION: Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in patients above the age of 50 results in favorable IKDC, Lysholm and Tegner activity scores and improvements in functional knee measures. However, a wide range of reoperation and complications are reported, attributed to varying levels of chondral injury and osteoarthritis which warrant consideration when discussing expectations in patients 50 and above undergoing ACLR. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV, Systematic Review of Level II-IV studies.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Repair Results in Similar Patient Reported Outcome Measures as Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review of Prospective Comparative Studies.

PURPOSE: To investigate the patient-reported outcomes (PROs), knee stability, and complications in prospective comparative studies of patients undergoing augmented anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair compared to ACL reconstruction (ACLR). METHODS: A literature search was performed according to the 2020 PRISMA guidelines. Human clinical studies of level I-II evidence comparing PROs, knee stability and complications following ACL repair and reconstruction were included, and a qualitative analysis was performed. Excluded studies included those lacking reporting outcomes, studies that performed open ACLR or repair, studies published prior to the year 2000 and studies with evidence levels III-IV. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool. RESULTS: Seven level of evidence I-II studies were retained including 190 ACLR and 221 repairs (75 Bridge-Enhanced ACL Repair (BEAR), 49 Suture Augmentation (SA), and 97 Dynamic Intraligamentary Stabilization (DIS)). At final follow-up, re-rupture rates varied between 0-14% (BEAR) vs 0-6% (ACLR) and mean side-to-side differences measured using KT-1000 testing ranged from 1.6-1.9mm (BEAR) vs 1.7-3.14mm (ACLR). For DIS vs ACLR, mean anterior tibial translation values at final follow-up were 1.7mm (DIS) vs. 1.4mm (ACLR), and re-rupture rates ranged from 20.8%-29% (DIS) vs. 17%-27.2% (ACLR). For SA vs ACLR, the mean side to side difference ranged from 0.2-0.39mm (SA) vs 0.33-0.4mm (ALCR), while the re-rupture rates were 10% (SA) vs. 0% (ACLR). International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Tegner, Lysholm and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome (KOOS) scores across both cohorts exhibited statistically significant, and comparable improvement, from baseline to final follow-up ranging from 1 to 5 years. CONCLUSION: Augmented ACL repair results in similar patient reported outcomes measures in comparison to ACL reconstruction. However, augmented ACL repair may be associated with higher rates of failure given re-rupture rates of up to 14%, 29% and 10% for BEAR, DIS and SA, respectively. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II; Systematic review of level I-II studies.

Geniculate Artery Embolization for the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Knee Osteoarthritis Improves Pain and Function: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: To evaluate procedural heterogeneity, patient reported outcomes (PRO), and complications following geniculate artery embolization (GAE) for knee OA. METHODS: A literature search was performed using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases from inception to August 2023 according to the 2020 PRISMA guidelines. Human clinical studies reporting PROs following GAE for treatment of knee OA were included and a qualitative comparison across PROs, procedural descriptions and complications was performed. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool and the MINORS criteria. The primary outcome measures included changes in PROs at 12 months and variances in procedural methodology. RESULTS: A total of 17 studies, consisting of 533 patients and 620 knees were identified. The reported mean improvement at 12 months for VAS pain and WOMAC scores ranged from 10-59 and 35.3-47, respectively. At 12 months, median improvements were observed in KOOS subscales such as Pain (range, 8.3-19.5), QOL (15.49-25.0), Sport (7.5-26.3) and Symptoms (1.8-25.0). Decreasing MCID achievement was observed between the 3 month and 6 month follow-up points. Patients with advanced OA and degenerative findings on MRI exhibited lower rates of MCID achievement. Transient adverse events occurred in up to 80% of patients. Limited evidence from serial MRI assessments suggests that GAE improves levels of synovitis. Significant heterogeneity exists among the GAE methodology as 4 different definitions of technical success, 4 distinct embolization targets and use of 5 embolization agents were noted. CONCLUSION: GAE results in short-term improvements in pain and function with decreasing MCID achievement observed after 3 to 6 months. Patients with severe OA also demonstrate lower rates of MCID achievement. A high rate of transient complications are reported including skin discoloration and access site hematomas. Significant protocol heterogeneity exists which contributes to variable outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV; Systematic Review of Level IV Studies.

Patellar tendon restoration techniques: a systematic review of outcomes for repair and reconstruction methods.

PURPOSE: This systematic review aims to delineate the various methods to repair or reconstruct the patellar tendon using the available literature. METHODS: MEDLINE and PubMed electronic databases were searched for English language clinical studies involving patellar tendon rupture repair or reconstruction that reported patient-reported outcome scores (PROS) between January 1st, 1953 and June 17th, 2021. Data was extracted on full text articles to collect functional outcome scores and rupture category, including acute, chronic, post-total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and post-anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). RESULTS: Twenty-three studies with a total of 738 patients were included. Of the 14 studies including acute repairs, mean postoperative Lvsholm scores ranged from 84 to 99.5. Knee Society Score (KSS) and knee range of motion (ROM) measurement were the most widely reported outcomes in the chronic setting. The average postoperative KSS scores ranged from 70 to 87.7. Of the six studies that included patellar tendon repairs/reconstructions in the setting of prior TKA, the most frequently reported outcomes were KSS scores and knee ROM measurements. The average postoperative KSS scores for the three cohorts reporting reconstruction with allograft ranged from 79 to 88 as compared to the average postoperative KSS score for reconstruction with autograft of 70. CONCLUSION: Despite this heterogeneity, we concluded: (1) in the primary setting, cerclage augmentation yields the lowest lysholm scores and should not be considered, although primary repairs with and without augmentation yield comparable postoperative lysholm scores, (2) in the chronic setting, repair with augmentation and reconstruction yielded similar results aside from in post-TKA patients where allograft reconstruction yielded superior KSS scores.

Meniscal Radial Tears Repaired With All-Inside and Inside-Out Techniques Result in Improved Clinical Outcome Scores, but Inside-Out Repairs May Be Associated With Higher Failure Rates Clinically and on Second-Look Arthroscopy: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: To compare patient-reported outcomes (PROs), failure, and healing rates after all-inside (AI) repair versus inside-out (IO) repair for the treatment of meniscal radial tears. METHODS: A literature search was performed according to the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines using the Scopus, PubMed, and Embase computerized databases. Level of Evidence I through IV human clinical studies evaluating PROs and/or the incidence of failure and healing after AI versus IO repairs for meniscal radial tears were included. Clinical failure was defined by the presence of joint-line tenderness; a positive McMurray test; and mechanical symptoms, such as locking, catching, or giving way. Study quality was assessed using the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies criteria and the Modified Coleman Methodology Score. RESULTS: Ten studies published from 2008 to 2023 comprising 205 patients were identified, including 142 patients who underwent AI repair and 63 patients who underwent IO repair for radial meniscus tears. Postoperative Lysholm and Tegner scores ranged from 90.8 to 95.6 and 5.7 to 8.2, respectively, in the AI repair group, compared with 86.9 to 94.2 and 6 to 7.5, respectively, in the IO repair group. All patients exceeded published values for minimal clinically important difference for the Lysholm score. Clinical failure ranged from 0% to 40% in the AI group and 0% to 62.5% in the IO group. Healing assessments on second-look arthroscopy revealed failure rates ranging from 0% to 13.3% in the AI group and 0% to 39% in the IO group. Complete and partial healing ranged from 28.6% to 92.3% in the AI group and from 25% to 70% in the IO group. Chondral damage on second-look arthroscopy ranged from 0% to 95% in the IO group and 0% to 57.7% in the AI group. Postoperative complications ranged from 0% to 2% within the AI group, whereas no complications were reported in the IO group. No implant-related complications were reported in any study group. CONCLUSIONS: Both all-inside and inside-out repairs for meniscal radial tears demonstrated improved PROs; however, current literature suggests that the IO technique may have higher failure rates both clinically and on second-look arthroscopy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, systematic review of Level III and IV studies.

Neither All-Inside, nor Inside-Out, nor Outside-In Repair Demonstrates Superior Biomechanical Properties for Vertical Meniscal Tears: A Systematic Review of Human Cadaveric Studies.

PURPOSE: To systematically review the literature regarding the biomechanical properties of different repair techniques and fixation methods for vertically oriented meniscal tears. METHODS: Human cadaveric studies evaluating the biomechanical properties of different repair techniques for vertically oriented meniscal tears were identified using the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health databases. Primary outcomes included load to failure, displacement, stiffness, peak contact pressure, and contact area of repaired menisci. Repair techniques from included studies were reclassified into a total of 19 distinct all-inside (AI), inside-out (IO), or outside-in (OI) techniques. RESULTS: Sixteen studies were included (420 total menisci). Contact pressure and area were restored to intact-state values across all 5 compressive load studies at low knee flexion angles but not at greater knee flexion angles (i.e., >60°). There were no significant differences in contact pressure or area between AI, IO, and OI techniques across all studies. Some studies demonstrated statistically significant advantages in tensile properties with IO techniques when compared with AI techniques, whereas others found AI techniques to be superior. No studies directly compared tensile properties of OI techniques with those of AI or IO techniques. Vertical mattress suture configurations resulted in significantly greater load to failure and decreased displacement compared with horizontal mattress configurations in 67% of studies comparing the 2 techniques. There was no difference in the rate of tissue failure in AI (66.97%), IO (60.38%), or OI (66.67%, χ2 = 0.83, P = .66) techniques. CONCLUSIONS: Contact mechanics are reliably restored after repair of vertical meniscal tears at low flexion angles but inconsistently restored at greater flexion angles, regardless of technique. Vertical mattress configurations outperformed horizontal mattress configurations under tensile load. There are conflicting data regarding the comparison of tensile properties between AI and IO techniques. Ultimately, neither AI, IO, nor OI repair demonstrated superior biomechanical properties in the present literature. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Several repair techniques demonstrate favorable biomechanical properties for vertical meniscal tears under tensile and compressive loads. Neither AI, IO, nor OI repair techniques demonstrate superior biomechanical properties at this time.

Blood Flow Restriction Enhances Recovery After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

PURPOSE: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating neuromuscular and clinical outcomes of blood flow restriction (BFR) training after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) compared with non-BFR rehabilitation protocols. METHODS: A systematic review was performed in accordance with the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta Analyses guidelines by querying PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, the Cochrane Database for Systematic Review, and the Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials databases from inception through December 2023 to identify Level I and II RCTs evaluating outcomes of BFR training after ACLR compared with non-BFR rehabilitation. A meta-analysis was performed using random-effects models with standardized mean difference (SMD) for pain, muscle strength, and muscle volume, whereas mean difference was calculated for patient-reported outcome measures. RESULTS: Eight RCTs, consisting of 245 patients, met inclusion criteria, with 115 patients undergoing non-BFR rehabilitation compared with 130 patients undergoing BFR after ACLR. Mean patient age was 27.2 ± 6.7 years, with most patients being male (63.3%, n = 138/218). The length of the BFR rehabilitation protocol was most commonly between 8 and 12 weeks (range, 14 days to 16 weeks). Most studies set the limb/arterial occlusion pressure in the BFR group at 80%. When compared with non-BFR rehabilitation, BFR resulted in significant improvement in isokinetic muscle strength (SMD: 0.77, P = .02, I2: 58%), International Knee Documentation Committee score (mean difference: 10.97, P ≤ .00001, I2: 77%), and pain (SMD: 1.52, P = .04, I2: 87%), but not quadriceps muscle volume (SMD: 0.28, P = .43, I2: 76%). CONCLUSIONS: The use of BFR after ACLR led to improvements in pain, International Knee Documentation Committee score, and isokinetic muscle strength, with variable outcomes on the basis of quadriceps strength, volume, and thickness when compared with non-BFR rehabilitation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, systematic review and meta-analysis of Level I and II studies.

Evaluating the reliability and quality of YouTube videos regarding medial collateral ligament knee injury as a patient education resource.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the educational reliability and quality of videos shared on YouTube regarding medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries of the knee. METHODS: Using the search keywords "medial collateral ligament" on YouTube, the first 50 videos were evaluated by two independent reviewers. Video characteristics were extracted, and each video was categorized by upload source and content type. Three scoring systems were used to evaluate the videos: the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Benchmark Score to assess a video's reliability; the Global Quality Score (GQS) to assess educational quality; the novel MCL Specific Score (MCL-SS) to assess MCL-specific content quality. Linear regression analyses were conducted to explore relationships between video characteristics and scores. RESULTS: Collectively, the videos were viewed 5,759,427 times with a mean number of views per video of 115,189 â€‹± â€‹177,861. The mean JAMA score was 1.8, GQS was 2.1, and MCL-SS was 5.6, indicating both poor reliability and quality. Only videos uploaded by physicians showed a statistically significantly higher mean MCL-SS (P â€‹= â€‹0.032) but were still of low quality with a mean MCL-SS of 9.2 â€‹± â€‹5.9. Multivariate linear regression revealed that videos uploaded by physicians were statistically significant predictors of greater MCL-SS (ߠ​= â€‹4.108; P â€‹= â€‹0.029). Longer video durations were statistically significant predictors of greater GQS (ߠ​= â€‹0.001; P â€‹= â€‹0.002) and MCL-SS (ߠ​= â€‹0.007; P â€‹< â€‹0.001). CONCLUSIONS: YouTube videos regarding MCL injuries, despite their popularity, were found to be on average having poor overall reliability and quality as measured by JAMA, GQS and MCL-SS. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional Study.

The Large Language Model ChatGPT-4 Exhibits Excellent Triage Capabilities and Diagnostic Performance for Patients Presenting With Various Causes of Knee Pain.

PURPOSE: To provide a proof-of-concept analysis of the appropriateness and performance of ChatGPT-4 to triage, synthesize differential diagnoses, and generate treatment plans concerning common presentations of knee pain. METHODS: Twenty knee complaints warranting triage and expanded scenarios were input into ChatGPT-4, with memory cleared prior to each new input to mitigate bias. For the 10 triage complaints, ChatGPT-4 was asked to generate a differential diagnosis that was graded for accuracy and suitability in comparison to a differential created by 2 orthopaedic sports medicine physicians. For the 10 clinical scenarios, ChatGPT-4 was prompted to provide treatment guidance for the patient, which was again graded. To test the higher-order capabilities of ChatGPT-4, further inquiry into these specific management recommendations was performed and graded. RESULTS: All ChatGPT-4 diagnoses were deemed appropriate within the spectrum of potential pathologies on a differential. The top diagnosis on the differential was identical between surgeons and ChatGPT-4 for 70% of scenarios, and the top diagnosis provided by the surgeon appeared as either the first or second diagnosis in 90% of scenarios. Overall, 16 of 30 diagnoses (53.3%) in the differential were identical. When provided with 10 expanded vignettes with a single diagnosis, the accuracy of ChatGPT-4 increased to 100%, with the suitability of management graded as appropriate in 90% of cases. Specific information pertaining to conservative management, surgical approaches, and related treatments was appropriate and accurate in 100% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: ChatGPT-4 provided clinically reasonable diagnoses to triage patient complaints of knee pain due to various underlying conditions that were generally consistent with differentials provided by sports medicine physicians. Diagnostic performance was enhanced when providing additional information, allowing ChatGPT-4 to reach high predictive accuracy for recommendations concerning management and treatment options. However, ChatGPT-4 may show clinically important error rates for diagnosis depending on prompting strategy and information provided; therefore, further refinements are necessary prior to implementation into clinical workflows. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Although ChatGPT-4 is increasingly being used by patients for health information, the potential for ChatGPT-4 to serve as a clinical support tool is unclear. In this study, we found that ChatGPT-4 was frequently able to diagnose and triage knee complaints appropriately as rated by sports medicine surgeons, suggesting that it may eventually be a useful clinical support tool.

Indirect Head of the Rectus Femoris Tendon as a Graft for Segmental Hip Labral Reconstruction: An Anatomic, Radiographical, and Biomechanical Study in Comparison With Iliotibial Labral Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: The indirect head of the rectus femoris (IHRF) tendon has been used as an autograft for segmental labral reconstruction. However, the biomechanical properties and anatomic characteristics of the IHRF, as they relate to surgical applications, have yet to be investigated. PURPOSE: To (1) quantitatively and qualitatively describe the anatomy of IHRF and its relationship with surrounding arthroscopically relevant landmarks; (2) detail radiographic findings pertinent to IHRF; (3) biomechanically assess segmental labral reconstruction with IHRF, including restoration of the suction seal and contact pressures in comparison with iliotibial band (ITB) reconstruction; and (4) assess potential donor-site morbidity caused by graft harvesting. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive laboratory study. METHODS: A cadaveric study was performed using 8 fresh-frozen human cadaveric full pelvises and 7 hemipelvises. Three-dimensional anatomic measurements were collected using a 3-dimensional coordinate digitizer. Radiographic analysis was accomplished by securing radiopaque markers of different sizes to the evaluated anatomic structures of the assigned hip.Suction seal and contact pressure testing were performed over 3 trials on 6 pelvises under 4 different testing conditions for each specimen: intact, labral tear, segmental labral reconstruction with ITB, and segmental labral reconstruction with IHRF. After IHRF tendon harvest, each full pelvis had both the intact and contralateral hip tested under tension along its anatomic direction to assess potential site morbidity, such as tendon failure or bony avulsion. RESULTS: The centroid and posterior apex of the indirect rectus femoris attachment are respectively located 10.3 ± 2.6 mm and 21.0 ± 6.5 mm posteriorly, 2.5 ± 7.8 mm and 0.7 ± 8.0 mm superiorly, and 5.0 ± 2.8 mm and 22.2 ± 4.4 mm laterally to the 12:30 labral position. Radiographically, the mean distance of the IHRF to the following landmarks was determined as follows: anterior inferior iliac spine (8.8 ± 2.5 mm), direct head of the rectus femoris (8.0 ± 3.9 mm), 12-o'clock labral position (14.1 ± 2.8 mm), and 3-o'clock labral position (36.5 ± 4.4 mm). During suction seal testing, both the ITB and the IHRF reconstruction groups had significantly lower peak loads and lower energy to peak loads compared with both intact and tear groups (P = .01 to .02 for all comparisons). There were no significant differences between the reconstruction groups for peak loads, energy, and displacement at peak load. In 60° of flexion, there were no differences in normalized contact pressure and contact area between ITB or IHRF reconstruction groups (P > .99). There were no significant differences between intact and harvested specimen groups in donor-site morbidity testing. CONCLUSION: The IHRF tendon is within close anatomic proximity to arthroscopic acetabular landmarks. In the cadaveric model, harvesting of the IHRF tendon as an autograft does not lead to significant donor-site morbidity in the remaining tendon. Segmental labral reconstruction performed with the IHRF tendon exhibits similar biomechanical outcomes compared with that performed with ITB. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study demonstrates the viability of segmental labral reconstruction with an IHRF tendon and provides a detailed anatomic description of the tendon in the context of an arthroscopic labral reconstruction. Clinicians can use this information during the selection of a graft and as a guide during an arthroscopic graft harvest.

Reported Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Incidence in Adolescent Athletes Is Greatest in Female Soccer Players and Athletes Participating in Club Sports: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To identify the risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in adolescent athletes based on sex, sport, and sport affiliation. METHODS: A literature search was performed using 3 online databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE) from database inception to November 2023 per the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Included studies consisted of Level I or II studies reporting on ACL injury exposures in time (hours) or injuries per 1,000 athlete-exposures (AEs) (1 game or practice) in adolescent athletes. Exclusion criteria consisted of non-English studies, case reports, animal/cadaveric studies, and review articles. Methodological quality and bias assessment of the included studies was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. ACL injuries were analyzed and pooled to calculate incidence rates (IRs), per-season risk, and relative risk (RR) based on sex, sport, and sport affiliation (club sport participation vs school sport participation). RESULTS: A total of 1,389 ACL injuries over 19,134,167 AEs were identified (IR, 0.075; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.071-0.079). Of these, 670 ACL injuries were reported in female athletes over 7,549,892 AEs (IR, 0.089; 95% CI, 0.087-0.091) with 719 in males over 11,584,275 AEs (IR, 0.062; 95% CI, 0.058-0.067). The greatest RR for ACL injury in females was in soccer (RR, 3.12; 95% CI, 2.58-3.77) for AEs. The greatest per-season risk of ACL injuries reported in female athletes occurred in soccer (1.08%), basketball (1.03%), and gymnastics (1.01%). The greatest per-season risk of ACL injuries reported in male athletes occurred in football (0.82%), lacrosse (0.64%), and soccer (0.35%). Club sport participation, in both AEs (RR, 3.94; 95% CI, 3.19-4.87) and hours of exposure (RR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.07-2.28), demonstrated an increased risk of ACL injury. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of ACL injuries was 1.56-fold greater in adolescent female athletes compared with male athletes. The highest-risk sport for females was soccer. Participation in club sports possessed higher rates of injury compared with school sports. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II; meta-analysis of Level I and II studies.

Measuring Technique for Meniscal Extrusion Using Ultrasound in the Setting of Posterior Medial Meniscal Root Tears.

Meniscal extrusion (ME) is a valuable, noninvasive diagnostic tool for meniscus pathology. In addition, ultrasound can allow for instant results in the office. However, ME is a fragile metric in the degree of millimeters. The inconsistent techniques used by different authors in the literature and the additional operator variability that ultrasound technology introduces make it important a systematic approach is used. The purpose of this study is to propose a reproducible technique. The current authors recommend having the patient in (1) 30° of knee flexion while weight-bearing, (2) capturing the image at the posterior border of the medial collateral ligament, (3) using a reference line parallel to the articular margin of the tibia, and (4) measuring ME at the coronal midpoint of the outermost edge of the meniscus.

Lower Range of Recurrent Instability Rates Following Bankart Repair and Remplissage Compared to Isolated Bankart Repair in Patients With "Nonengaging/On-Track" Hill-Sachs Lesions and <20% Glenoid Bone Loss.

PURPOSE: To compare recurrent instability and return-to-sport rates along with external rotation differences between on-track (nonengaging) Hill-Sachs lesion patients undergoing either an isolated Bankart repair (IBR) or a Bankart repair augmented with a remplissage procedure (B+R). METHODS: A search was conducted using 3 databases (PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL) in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Only clinical comparative (level of evidence I-III) studies were considered for inclusion. Quality assessment was performed using the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies criteria. RESULTS: Six level of evidence III studies, totaling 537 patients (202 B+R and 335 IBR) were included for analysis. All patients had <20% glenoid bone loss and a nonengaging, on-track Hill-Sachs lesion. At a median final follow-up of 34.7 months, recurrent dislocation rates ranged from 0% to 7.7% and 3.5% to 30% in the B+R and IBR groups, respectively. Moreover, subjective instability and revision surgery rates presented lower ranges in the B+R upon comparison with the IBR cohort (0%-32% vs 5%-71.4% and 0%-5% vs 0%-35%, respectively). Furthermore, return to preinjury level of sports ranged from 64% to 100% in the remplissage-augmented group and 50% to 90% in the IBR cohort. Postoperative external rotation at side varied from 50° to 63° in the B+R and 55° to 63° in the IBR arm. Additional subgroup analysis revealed recurrent dislocation rates in athletes and patients with near-track Hill-Sachs lesions undergoing remplissage augmentation to be 0% to 5% and 2% to 47% while ranging from 8.8% to 30% and 9% to 66% for IBR patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Upon qualitative analysis, ranges of recurrent instability measures, including recurrent dislocation rates, are higher in patients undergoing IBR in comparison to B+R. Activity level influences outcomes as athletes were found to have a higher range of recurrent dislocation rates in the IBR group. The addition of remplissage showed a higher range of return-to-sport rates with comparable postoperative external rotation between groups. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, systematic review of Level III studies.

Adults Have a Higher Incidence of Discoid Lateral Meniscus Tears Than Children-Adults Tend to Present With Complex Tears, While Horizontal Tear Patterns Are Frequently Encountered in Children: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: To systematically review the available literature on patients with discoid lateral meniscus (DLM) with the goal of elucidating the rates and types of meniscal tears, clinical symptoms, treatment strategies, and postoperative clinical and radiographic outcomes in adult patients compared with a pediatric population. METHODS: A literature search was performed using the PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases from database inception to October 2023 according to the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Level of evidence I through IV human clinical studies evaluating rate and type of meniscal tears, clinical symptoms, patient-reported outcome measures, and postoperative radiographical assessments in patients with DLM were included. Comparisons were made by age younger and older than 16 years. Study quality was assessed using the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies criteria. RESULTS: Thirteen studies comprising 1,772 adult patients (>16 years old) with DLM (n = 1,856 knees) and 8 studies conducted in 304 pediatric patients (≤16 years old, n = 353 knees) were included. The reported mean age ranged from 22.4 to 45 years (mean follow-up, 24-157.5 months) in the adult group and from 5 to 12.9 years (mean follow-up, 37-234 months) in the pediatric DLM group. Among studies that reported on tear patterns, the majority of adult (n = 553; 96.5%) and pediatric (n = 163; 71.8%) patients had tears of the DLM. Complete DLM was the predominant type of DLM in both study groups (range in adults, 49.6% to 88%; range in pediatric patients, 19%-100%) with complex (46.1%; range, 5.3%-100%) and horizontal tears (18.2%; range, 20%-37.5%) being the most frequently described tear patterns in the adult and pediatric DLM groups, respectively. Pain was the predominant reported symptom in both study groups (range in adults, 12.1%-99.3%; range in pediatric patients, 32.4%-100%). Partial meniscectomy was the most frequently reported treatment option conducted in 334 adult knees (39.5%; range, 24.2%-100%) and 66 pediatric knees (63.5%; range, 15%-100%). Overall, improved postoperative clinical outcomes were reported in both study groups; however, radiographic progression of degenerative changes after subtotal meniscectomy was noted. CONCLUSIONS: More adult patients with DLM present with tears in the literature compared with the pediatric population. Complex and horizontal tear patterns are the most frequently reported tears in adult and pediatric patients, respectively. Pain was the most relevant symptom in both study groups. There was generally significant improvement in postoperative clinical outcome scores; partial meniscectomy, however, remains the most frequently reported treatment option and is associated with fewer degenerative changes than in subtotal meniscectomy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, systematic review of Level I to IV studies.