In non-elite athletes, women are more likely to return to sports after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The desire to return to sports (RTS) and return to performance at preinjury level (RTSP) is a common motivator for athletes undergoing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructive surgery. However, for non-elite athletes little is known about the patient and surgical variables influencing RTS/RTSP. Purpose was to determine which patient or surgical variables had an effect on RTS/RTSP in non-elite athletes. We also analyzed whether patients that RTS and RTSP have more confidence in the knee and less difficulty pivoting. METHODS: A single-centre retrospective cohort study. All patients who had undergone primary hamstring ACL reconstruction within a 5-year period were included. Patients were asked about their pre- and postoperative sports participation using the Tegner Activity Score (TAS) as well as about their RTS/RTSP. Confidence in the knee and difficulty with pivoting were asked about. To determine the potential adverse effect of patient variables at the time of surgery (sex, age, height, weight, TAS preop) and surgical variables (graft diameter, surgical technique, concomitant injury) influencing RTS/RTSP, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used. RESULTS: 370 ACL reconstructions were included. Average follow-up was 4.6 years (SD 1.4). RTS rate was 65% and RTSP 43%. Median preinjury TAS was 7 (Q1:6, Q3:8)), postoperative 6 (Q1:4, Q3:7). Multivariate analysis showed that women were more likely to RTS (OR 2.40, 1.16-4.97). A lower preinjury TAS (OR 0.80, 0.67-0.95) resulted in higher RTSP levels. None of the surgical variables had a significant influence on RTS or RTSP. Patients who returned to sports or to preinjury-level performance displayed significantly more confidence in the operated knee and less difficulty pivoting than non-returning patients. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that 65% of non-elite athletes with an ACL reconstruction returned to sports, 43% at preinjury level. Women were over twice more likely to RTS than men. Preinjury TAS significantly influences RTSP, with a lower preinjury TAS leading to a higher percentage of RTSP. Patients returning to both scored better in their self-reported confidence in the knee and difficulty pivoting than non-returning patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Retrospective cohort III.

Perceptions and Guiding Strategies to Regulate Entrusted Autonomy of Residents in the Operating Room: A Systematic Literature Review.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a systematic literature review of intraoperative entrusted autonomy for surgical residents. Specifically, perceptions from residents and supervising surgeons, supervising behavior and influencing factors on intraoperative teaching and learning are analyzed. BACKGROUND: Increasing demands on surgical training and the need for effective development of technical skills, amplify the importance of making the most of intraoperative teaching and learning opportunities in the operating room. It is critical for residents to gain the greatest benefit from every surgical case and to achieve operative competence. METHODS: A systematic literature search identified 921 articles from 2000 to 2022 that addressed surgical education/training, intraoperative supervision/teaching, autonomy and entrustment. 40 studies with heterogeneous designs and methodologies were included. RESULTS: Four themes were established in the analysis: patient safety, learner, learning environment and supervising surgeon. The patient is identified as the primary responsibility during intraoperative teaching and learning. Supervisors continuously guard patient safety as well as the resident's learning process. Ideal intraoperative learning occurs when the resident has optimal entrusted autonomy during the procedure matching with the current surgical skills level. A safe learning environment with dedicated time for learning are prerequisites for both supervising surgeons and residents. Supervising surgeons' own preferences and confidence levels also play an important role. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic literature review identifies patient safety as the overriding principle for supervising surgeons when regulating residents' entrusted autonomy. When the supervisor's responsibility toward the patient has been met, there is room for intraoperative teaching and learning. In this process the learner, the learning environment and the supervising surgeon's own preferences all intertwine, creating a triangular responsibility. This review outlines the challenge of establishing an equilibrium in this triangle and the broad arsenal of strategies supervising surgeons use to keep it in balance.

Young men are at higher risk of failure after ACL hamstring reconstructions: a retrospective multivariate analysis.

BACKGROUND: Results of ACL reconstruction are influenced by both patient and surgical variables. Until now a significant amount of studies have focused on the influence of surgical technique on primary outcome, often leaving patient variables untouched. This study investigates the combined influence of patient and surgical variables through multivariate analysis. METHODS: Single-center retrospective cohort study. All patients who underwent primary ACL hamstring reconstruction within a 5-year period were included. Patient characteristics (gender, age, height, weight, BMI at time of surgery) and surgical variables (surgical technique, concomitant knee injury, graft diameter, type of femoral and tibial fixation) were collected. Patients were asked about Tegner Activity Scale (TAS), complications and revision surgery. Multivariate logistic regression was used to study risk factors. First graft failure and potential risk factors (patient and surgical) were univariately assessed. Risk factors with a p-value ≤ 0.05 were included in the multivariate model. RESULTS: Six hundred forty-seven primary ACL hamstring reconstructions were included. There were 41 graft failures (failure rate 6.3%). Patient gender, age, height and preoperative TAS had a significant influence on the risk of failure in the univariate analysis. The multivariate analyses showed that age and sex remained significant independent risk factors. Patients with a failed ACL reconstruction were younger (24.3 vs 29.4 years, OR 0.937), with women at a lower risk for failure of their ACL reconstruction (90.2% males vs 9.8% females, female OR 0.123). ACL graft diameter and other surgical variables aren't confounders for graft failure. CONCLUSION: This study shows that patient variables seem to have a larger influence on the failure rate of ACL hamstring reconstructive surgery than surgical variables. Identification of the right patient variables can help us make more informed decisions for our patients and create patient-specific treatment protocols. Young men's higher risk of failure suggests that these patients may benefit from a different reconstruction technique, such as use of a patellar tendon or combined ligament augmentation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Retrospective cohort III.