Inconsistent Return to Sport Despite Improved Outcomes After Re-revision Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: An Updated Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: The primary objective was to systematically review the literature evaluating patient-reported outcomes and return to sport after re-revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) procedures. The secondary objectives were 2-fold: to identify the risk factors that lead to revision ACLR failure and to assess the secondary knee structure injuries after the initial revision ACLR. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed using the MEDLINE/PubMed and Cochrane databases. The inclusion criteria were outcomes of re-revision ACLR, minimum of 2 years' follow-up, human studies, and English language. Basic science articles, epidemiologic studies, editorials, surgical technique articles, surveys, cadaveric studies, and animal studies were excluded. RESULTS: Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were considered for review. There were 6 Level III and 9 Level IV studies that included 399 patients undergoing re-revision ACLR. The rate of concomitant meniscal lesions at the time of re-revision ranged from 35% to 90%. The prevalence of concomitant cartilaginous lesions at the time of re-revision ranged from 13.6% to 90%. Compared with preoperative scores, patient-reported outcomes overall improved after re-revision ACLR, with mean preoperative Lysholm scores ranging from 38.4 to 73.15 that improved to postoperative scores ranging from 68 to 87.8. However, return to sport at preinjury levels was inconsistent, with rates ranging from 12.5% to 80%. CONCLUSIONS: Re-revision ACLR was found to restore knee stability and improve functional outcomes. Despite this improvement, there was a low rate of return to sport at the preinjury level. Functional outcomes were also inferior when compared with primary ACLR. In addition, concomitant knee pathologies were found to rise in prevalence compared with revision and primary ACLR cases. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, systematic review of Level III and IV studies.

Open Popliteus Tendon Reconstruction Using a Hamstring Tendon Autograft.

The popliteus tendon plays a critical role in restraining the tibia against external rotation. It is often injured in the setting of posterolateral corner injuries. However, it is rarely injured in isolation from other structures of the posterolateral corner. This Technical Note describes an open anatomic reconstruction of the popliteus tendon. Although several techniques exist, this technique has been biomechanically validated and shown to have good outcomes. An early rehabilitation protocol focused on protected range of motion, edema control, quadriceps strengthening, and pain control is essential for maximizing patient outcomes.

A Systematic Review of Acute Irreducible Shoulder Dislocations in the 21st Century.

Background: Rarely, closed reduction cannot be achieved in patients with acute shoulder dislocation, necessitating open management. A paucity of literature exists regarding these cases. Purpose: To perform a systematic review on the mechanism, management, and outcome data of acute irreducible shoulder dislocations. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed using the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, and MEDLINE between 2000 and 2020. Inclusion criteria were as follows: human participants, acute irreducible shoulder dislocation requiring open management, English language, and publication within the past 20 years. We excluded basic science articles, technique articles, reviews, editorials, and studies of chronic shoulder dislocations or dislocations with ipsilateral humeral shaft fractures. Results: Twelve articles fit the inclusion criteria and were considered for review. All studies were single case reports (level 4 evidence). Ten of the 12 studies were of male patients. The direction of dislocation included 7 anterior/anteroinferior, 2 posterior, 1 inferior, 1 bilateral inferior, and 1 superolateral. Most dislocations were irreducible owing to a mechanical block to reduction. The most common type of block was an incarcerated long head of the biceps tendon, followed by interposition of 1 of the rotator cuff tendons. The axillary and musculocutaneous nerves, displaced fracture fragments, and Hill-Sachs and bony Bankart lesions were other causes of blocks to reduction. Eleven patients were treated with open surgery, while 1 patient was treated arthroscopically. Procedures performed were dependent on concurrent pathology. Final follow-up ranged from 6 weeks to 2 years, with no repeat dislocation episodes reported. Complications after open reduction included 1 case of brachial plexopathy (posterior cord) and 1 case of musculocutaneous nerve palsy. Conclusion: There is a paucity of literature on the management of irreducible acute shoulder dislocations. The most common irreducible dislocation found in this systematic review was anterior with a mechanical block attributed to interposition of the long head of the biceps tendon. When patients were treated with an open or arthroscopic procedure, recurrence was low, with none reporting recurrent dislocation in limited follow-up.

Posterior Approach for the Treatment of an Osteochondral Defect on the Posterior Lateral Femoral Condyle.

Osteochondral defects of the knee often occur as a result of traumatic injury, repetitive microtrauma, or genetic predisposition. Smaller lesions can be treated nonoperatively in younger patient populations; however, large symptomatic lesions require surgical intervention using a fresh osteochondral allograft transplant. Although osteochondral defects classically appear on the lateral aspect of the medial femoral condyle, there have been cases in which the lesion is located on the posterior aspect of the lateral femoral condyle. To access these posteriorly located lesions, the surgeon must utilize a complex posterior approach in order to successfully manage these lesions. While care must be taken to protect the neurovascular bundle in this area, this technique allows for excellent exposure and optimal graft placement.

Shuttling Technique for Directed Fibrin Clot Placement During Augmented Inside-Out Repair of Horizontal Meniscus Tears.

More meniscus tears are being repaired because this has been shown to delay the onset of osteoarthritis compared with partial meniscectomy. However, there still remains a subset of tears that may be viewed as less amenable to repair due to poorer healing potential. Fibrin clots have been used to augment healing for meniscus tears located in avascular regions due to their potential to promote healing and ability to be easily prepared at a low cost. Placement of fibrin clots within a meniscus repair can be technically challenging. Here, we describe a technique for placing a fibrin clot within a meniscus tear site repaired with an inside-out technique. A passing suture through the tear aids to shuttle the fibrin clot into the tear site and is then secured within the tear by tying down the repair sutures around the clot. This technique is efficient, less technically demanding, and can be accomplished without additional specialized instruments.

Nonoperative treatment of chronic, massive irreparable rotator cuff tears: a systematic review with synthesis of a standardized rehabilitation protocol.

PURPOSE: A massive, irreparable rotator cuff tear may cause significant pain and dysfunction. However, the efficacy of nonoperative treatment modalities in this subset of patients is not currently well known. Also, there is currently no gold standard nonoperative protocol to guide treatment. The goal of the present systematic review is to determine if there is any evidence to support the use of various nonoperative treatment modalities and synthesize a standardized nonoperative treatment protocol for the patient with a massive irreparable rotator cuff tear. METHODS: A comprehensive review of the literature utilizing PRISMA guidelines was performed. Studies involving clinical outcomes of nonoperative treatment of massive, irreparable rotator cuff tears were included. Articles were reviewed by 2 reviewers to determine inclusion or exclusion based on established criteria. Selected articles were reviewed for results of clinical and functional outcomes. The studies were also reviewed to determine their level of evidence and potential sources of bias. A standardized nonoperative treatment protocol was developed by taking described elements of the protocols used in studies that demonstrated clinical improvement beyond the MCID for the outcome scores used by the authors. RESULTS: A total of 10 studies met inclusion criteria for our studies. Of the included studies, 1 was Level III evidence and the remaining 9 were Level IV evidence. Multiple studies showed significant improvement exceeding the MCID for functional outcome scores following treatment. Also, several studies demonstrated significant improvements in strength and range of motion. The overall success of nonoperative treatment ranged from 32%-96%. The synthesized nonoperative treatment protocol is characterized by requiring some supervised physical therapy, often requiring 12 weeks or more, focusing on supine exercises with gradual progression to upright. Corticosteroid injections and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may also be of benefit. CONCLUSION: Despite low-quality evidence, nonoperative treatment has been shown to be efficacious for patients with chronic, massive, irreparable rotator cuff tears. Using these results, a synthesized rehabilitation program was developed to guide clinicians when treating patients with massive irreparable rotator cuff tears.

Meniscal Repair in Pediatric Populations: A Systematic Review of Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Loss of meniscal tissue in the pediatric population can have long-term consequences on joint health, highlighting the importance of meniscal preservation in this group. PURPOSE: To systematically review reported knee outcome measures and complication rates after repair of meniscal tears in children and adolescents. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: A review of the literature regarding the existing evidence for pediatric meniscal tear outcomes was performed through use of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed (1980-present), and MEDLINE (1980-present). Included were articles in English that reported the outcomes of meniscal tears in the pediatric population (<18 years old) with a follow-up of more than 12 months. Clinical outcome scores were reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 1003 total studies were initially retrieved, with 8 meeting the inclusion criteria. The review included 287 patients (165 male, 122 female), mean age 15.1 years (range, 4-18 years), with 301 meniscal tears (reported: 134 medial, 127 lateral, and 32 both medial and lateral, 8 location unspecified). Concomitant anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction was performed in 52% (158/301) of meniscal repairs. The average reported postoperative Lysholm scores ranged from 85.4 to 96.3, and the average reported postoperative Tegner activity scores ranged from 6.2 to 8. CONCLUSION: Arthroscopic repair of a meniscal tear in the pediatric and adolescent population is an effective treatment option that has a low failure rate, enhances postoperative clinical outcomes, and preserves meniscal tissues.

Immediate physical therapy without postoperative restrictions following open subpectoral biceps tenodesis: low failure rates and improved outcomes at a minimum 2-year follow-up.

HYPOTHESIS: We aimed to determine patient-reported outcomes in patients undergoing open subpectoral biceps tenodesis with a dual-fixation construct who had no postoperative range-of-motion or weight-bearing restrictions. Our hypothesis was that patients without postoperative restrictions would have low failure rates with improved patient-reported outcomes. We further hypothesized that this technique would allow an earlier return to activity and similar functional outcomes when compared with those reported in the literature. METHODS: In this institutional review board-approved retrospective outcome study, we evaluated 105 patients who underwent primary open subpectoral biceps tenodesis with a bicortical suture button and interference screw construct without postoperative restrictions. The primary outcome measure was failure of the biceps tenodesis. Postoperative outcome scores included the Short Form 12 (SF-12) Physical Component Score; SF-12 Mental Component Score; American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons total score and subscales; and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score. RESULTS: A total of 98 patients (85%) were available for final follow-up at an average of 3.5 years. There were 2 failures (2.2%), at 5 weeks and 9 weeks postoperatively. Four patients underwent additional surgery unrelated to the previous tenodesis procedure. Final outcome scores indicated high levels of function, including the SF-12 Physical Component Score (mean, 51.5; SD, 7.8), SF-12 Mental Component Score (mean, 54.7; SD, 6.7), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons total score (mean, 89.4; SD, 14.2), and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score (mean, 11.3; SD, 13.4). CONCLUSION: Open subpectoral biceps tenodesis using a dual-fixation construct with no postoperative motion restrictions resulted in excellent outcomes with a low incidence of failure.

A Percutaneous Knotless Technique for Acute Achilles Tendon Ruptures.

Achilles tendon ruptures are a common tendon injury, usually occurring in middle-aged men during recreational sporting activities. Both nonoperative and operative management are employed to treat these injuries. Several operative treatments are described in the literature, including percutaneous Achilles repair, mini-open repair, and open repair. Open Achilles repair is associated with higher rates of impaired wound healing and infection, whereas minimally invasive techniques have been reported to have an increased risk of iatrogenic sural nerve injury. More recently, low complication rates, improved cosmetic appearance, reduced operating times, and improved clinical outcomes have been reported for the percutaneous Achilles repair technique. In this Technical Note, we present our preferred technique using the Percutaneous Achilles Repair System (Arthrex, Naples, FL), which has been reported to have minimal wound and nerve complications, and early return to activity.

A Systematic Review of Arthroscopic Versus Open Tenotomy of Iliopsoas Tendonitis After Total Hip Replacement.

PURPOSE: To conduct a systematic review of the literature comparing patient outcomes following arthroscopic and open operative management of iliopsoas tendonitis (IPT) following total hip replacement (THR). METHODS: This review study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. Inclusion criteria were as follows: outcome studies following open or arthroscopic iliopsoas tendon release after THR with at least 6 months of follow-up, English language, and human studies. The exclusion criteria included case reports, articles evaluating nonsurgical management or cup revision, and articles without a specific diagnosis of IPT or in which results between open and arthroscopic treatment were reported in conjunction. RESULTS: A total of 131 studies were initially retrieved, with 7 satisfying all inclusion criteria (4 studies on arthroscopic tenotomy and 3 studies on open tenotomy). The review included a total of 88 patients with IPT-61 patients treated arthroscopically and 27 patients treated with open tenotomy. In total, 77 of the 88 patients demonstrated successful outcomes following surgery. In the group treated with arthroscopy, 91.8% (56/61) of patients had successful outcomes, whereas in those treated with open tenotomy, 77.8% (21/27) of patients had successful outcomes. Of patients with signs of mechanical impingement from acetabular component overhang, those who underwent open tenotomy had complete pain relief in 6/8 patients (75%) compared to arthroscopic tenotomy in which there was relief in 40/43 patients (93%). CONCLUSIONS: Arthroscopic iliopsoas release for management of IPT is suggested to be an effective minimally invasive operative technique that may also yield a lower complication rate in comparison to open tenotomy. Tenotomy, both arthroscopic and open, are successful treatment options for IPT, including those with signs of mechanical impingement, and are recommended prior to cup revision. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, systematic review of level IV studies.

Concomitant Reverse Hill-Sachs Lesion and Posterior Humeral Avulsion of the Glenohumeral Ligament: Treatment With Fresh Talus Osteochondral Allograft and Arthroscopic Posterior Humeral Avulsion of the Glenohumeral Ligament and Labrum Repair.

Chronic posterior glenohumeral joint instability can be a challenging clinical entity for patients and surgeons alike. In the setting of a posterior dislocation, a large anterior humeral impaction injury (reverse Hill-Sachs [HS]) may occur, leading to engagement of the humerus with the posterior glenoid bone, especially during internal rotation of the joint. A reverse HS is especially debilitating because of the significant portion of affected humeral head cartilage, and is made worse in the setting of ligamentous disruption such as a posterior humeral avulsion of the glenohumeral ligament (HAGL) lesions. Although several nonanatomic procedures to address these defects have been previously described, recent interest in anatomic reconstructions capable of restoring the cartilage surface of the humeral head has led to the use of bone grafts (autografts and allografts) to restore the articular contour of the humeral head in conjunction with anatomic repair of associated soft tissue injuries. We present our preferred technique for an anatomic repair of a posterior HAGL lesion in combination with reconstruction of an engaging reverse HS lesion using an unmatched hemitalar allograft.

A Transosseous Bone Bridge Repair for Posterior Horn Meniscal Root Tears During Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Meniscal root tears occur in isolation or concurrently with ligamentous knee injury and cause significantly altered knee mechanics with the loss of normal meniscus hoop stress. This loss of normal meniscus function can result in abnormal knee kinematics and, subsequently, more rapid degenerative changes of the knee articular surface. In the setting of anterior cruciate ligament tear, the posterolateral meniscus root is most commonly damaged. Several techniques exist for meniscus root repair; however, none have been shown to be clearly superior. We present a safe, effective, and reproducible arthroscopic transtibial technique for posterior horn lateral meniscal root tears.

Biomechanical Analysis of the Individual Ligament Contributions to Syndesmotic Stability.

BACKGROUND: Biomechanical data and contributions to ankle joint stability have been previously reported for the individual distal tibiofibular ligaments. These results have not yet been validated based on recent anatomic descriptions or using current biomechanical testing devices. METHODS: Eight matched-pair, lower leg specimens were tested using a dynamic, biaxial testing machine. The proximal tibiofibular joint and the medial and lateral ankle ligaments were left intact. After fixation, specimens were preconditioned and then biomechanically tested following sequential cutting of the tibiofibular ligaments to assess the individual ligamentous contributions to syndesmotic stability. Matched paired specimens were randomly divided into 1 of 2 cutting sequences: (1) anterior-to-posterior: intact, anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (AITFL), interosseous tibiofibular ligament (ITFL), deep posterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (PITFL), superficial PITFL, and complete interosseous membrane; (2) posterior-to-anterior: intact, superficial PITFL, deep PITFL, ITFL, AITFL, and complete interosseous membrane. While under a 750-N axial compressive load, the foot was rotated to 15 degrees of external rotation and 10 degrees of internal rotation for each sectioned state. Torque (Nm), rotational position (degrees), and 3-dimensional data were recorded continuously throughout testing. RESULTS: Testing of the intact ankle syndesmosis under simulated physiologic conditions revealed 4.3 degrees of fibular rotation in the axial plane and 3.3 mm of fibular translation in the sagittal plane. Significant increases in fibular sagittal translation and axial rotation were observed after syndesmotic injury, particularly after sectioning of the AITFL and superficial PITFL. Sequential sectioning of the syndesmotic ligaments resulted in significant reductions in resistance to both internal and external rotation. Isolated injuries to the AITFL resulted in the most substantial reduction of resistance to external rotation (average of 24%). However, resistance to internal rotation was not significantly diminished until the majority of the syndesmotic structures had been sectioned. CONCLUSION: The ligaments of the syndesmosis provide significant contributions to rotary stability of the distal tibiofibular joint within the physiologic range of motion. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study defined normal motion of the syndesmosis and the biomechanical consequences of injury. The degree of instability was increased with each additional injured structure; however, isolated injuries to the AITFL alone may lead to significant external rotary instability.

Biomechanical Comparison of 3 Current Ankle Syndesmosis Repair Techniques.

BACKGROUND: Significant debate exists regarding optimal repair for unstable syndesmosis injuries. Techniques range from screw fixation, suture-button fixation, or a combination of the two. In this study, 3 common repairs were compared using a simulated weightbearing protocol with internal and external rotation of the foot. METHODS: Twenty-four lower leg specimens with mean age 54 years (range, 38-68 years) were used for testing. Following creation of a complete syndesmotic injury (AITFL, ITFL, PITFL, interosseous membrane), specimens were repaired using 1 of 3 randomly assigned techniques: (1) one 3.5-mm syndesmotic screw, (2) 1 suture-button construct, and (3) 2 divergent suture-button constructs. Repairs were cycled for 500 cycles between 7.5 Nm of internal/external rotation torque under a constant 750 N axial compressive load in a neutral dorsiflexion position. At 0, 10, 100, and 500 cycles, torsional cyclic loading was interrupted to assess torsional resistance to rotation within a physiologic range of motion (15 degrees external rotation to 10 degrees internal rotation). Torque (Nm), rotational position (degrees), and 3-dimensional data were collected throughout the testing to characterize relative spatial relationships of the tibiofibular articulation. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between repair techniques in resistance to internal and external rotation with respect to the intact syndesmosis. Three-dimensional analysis revealed significant differences between repair techniques for sagittal fibular translation with external rotation of the foot. Screw fixation had the smallest magnitude of posterior sagittal translation (2.5 mm), and a single suture-button construct demonstrated the largest magnitude of posterior sagittal translation (4.6 mm). Screw fixation also allowed for significantly less anterior sagittal translation with internal rotation of the foot (0.1 mm) when compared to both 1 (2.7 mm) and 2 (2.9 mm) suture-button constructs. CONCLUSION: All repairs provided comparable rotational stability to the syndesmosis; however, no repair technique completely restored rotational stability and tibiofibular anatomic relationships of the preinjury state. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Constructs were comparable across most conditions; however, when repairing injuries with a suture-button construct, a single suture-button construct may not provide sufficient resistance to sagittal translation of the fibula.

Bone marrow aspirate concentrate for the treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus: a systematic review of outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The goal of this perform a systematic review on the outcomes of bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) for the treatment of chondral defects and osteoarthritis (OA) of the talus. RESULTS: The systematic search performed identified 47 studies after duplicates were removed. After inclusion criteria were applied four studies were considered for insightful analysis for the treatment of focal chondral defects in the foot and ankle with the use of BMAC. Three studies were retrospective and one study was prospective in nature. One study was a comparative cohort study and three studies were case series. CONCLUSIONS: This review denotes that there exists an overwhelming paucity of long-term data and high-level evidence supporting BMAC for the treatment of chondral defects. Nonetheless, the evidence available showed varying degrees of beneficial results of BMAC for the treatment of ankle cartilage defects. The limited literature presented in this review demonstrates the need for more advanced, comparative studies to further investigate the efficacy, safety and techniques for BMAC in the treatment of OLTs. The authors recommend that BMAC therapy should be performed with careful consideration until the application and target population for this treatment are established.

Outcomes and Risk Factors of Rerevision Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature on rerevision anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, focusing on patient outcomes. The secondary aims of this study were to (1) identify risk factors that contribute to multiple ACL reconstruction failures (defined as a complete tear of a revision ACL graft with knee instability) and (2) assess concomitant knee injuries, such as articular cartilage and menisci lesions. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed. Inclusion criteria were as follows: outcomes of rerevision ACL reconstruction, English language, minimum of 2 years of follow-up, and human studies. We excluded cadaveric studies, animal studies, basic science articles, editorial articles, surgical technique descriptions, surveys, and rerevision ACL articles in which rerevision reconstruction subgroups were not reported independently of first-time ACL revision groups. RESULTS: Six studies met the inclusion criteria and were considered for review. One was a case-control study (Level III evidence), and 5 studies were case series (Level IV evidence). Compared with preoperative scores, patient outcomes improved after rerevision ACL reconstruction. However, more meniscal and cartilage pathologies were present in rerevision cases compared with after primary and revision ACL reconstruction. CONCLUSIONS: Although rerevision ACL reconstruction can restore stability and improve functional outcomes compared with the preoperative state, outcomes remained inferior when compared with primary ACL reconstructions, particularly regarding a patient's ability to return to his or her preinjury level of activity. Additional factors that place increased stress on the ACL graft, such as increased posterior tibial sagittal plane slope or undiagnosed concomitant ligament injuries, should be investigated, especially in atraumatic failures. If present, operative treatment of these factors should be considered. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, systematic review of Level III and IV studies.

Opening- and Closing-Wedge Distal Femoral Osteotomy: A Systematic Review of Outcomes for Isolated Lateral Compartment Osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: Lateral compartment osteoarthritis of the knee can be a challenging pathology in the younger, active population due to limited treatment options and high patient expectations. Distal femoral osteotomy (DFO) has been reported to be a potential treatment option. PURPOSE: To perform a systematic review on the survival, outcomes, and complications of DFO for treatment of genu valgum with concomitant lateral compartment osteoarthritis of the knee. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed using the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials, PubMed, and MEDLINE from 1980 to present. Inclusion criteria were as follows: outcomes of opening- and closing-wedge DFOs performed for treatment of genu valgum with concomitant lateral compartment osteoarthritis of the knee, English language, minimum 2-year follow-up, and human studies. Data abstracted from the selected studies included type of osteotomy (opening vs closing), survival rate, patient-reported and radiographic outcomes, and complications. RESULTS: Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were considered for the review. A total of 9 closing-wedge and 5 opening-wedge DFO studies were included. All were retrospective studies and reported good to excellent patient-reported outcomes after DFO. Survival decreased with increasing time from surgery, with 1 study reporting a 100% survival rate at 6.5 years, compared with 21.5% at 20 years in another study. A low rate of complications was reported throughout the review. CONCLUSION: Highly heterogeneous literature exists for both opening- and closing-wedge DFOs for the treatment of isolated lateral compartment osteoarthritis with valgus malalignment. A mean survival rate of 80% at 10-year follow-up was reported, supporting that this procedure can be a viable treatment option to delay or reduce the need for joint arthroplasty. A low complication rate was observed, with symptomatic hardware being the most prevalent postoperative complication.

Clinical Outcomes of High Tibial Osteotomy for Knee Instability: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: In recent years there has been an increasing interest in high tibial osteotomy (HTO) to treat patients with chronic knee instability due to posterolateral corner (PLC), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) insufficiencies with concurrent malalignment in the coronal and/or sagittal plane. PURPOSE: To perform a systematic review of the use of HTO for the treatment of knee ligament instability with concurrent malalignment. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was conducted for the treatment of combined knee ligament instability and malalignment with HTO using the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, and MEDLINE (1980 to present); the queries were performed in July 2015. Terms searched included the following: high or proximal tibial osteotomy, unstable, instability, laxity, subluxation, tibial slope, and malalignment, in the knee joint. Inclusion criteria were as follows: HTO to treat instability of the knee joint in the sagittal and/or coronal plane, minimum 2-year follow-up with reported outcomes measures, English language, and human studies. Animal, basic science, and cadaveric studies were excluded as well as editorials, reviews, expert opinions, surveys, special topics, letters to the editor, and correspondence. RESULTS: The search resulted in 460 studies. After applying exclusion criteria and removing duplicates, 13 studies were considered. Of the studies reviewed, knee ligament pathologies, previous surgeries, and measurement of knee stability were heterogeneous. However, all studies reported an improvement in knee stability after HTO. Most studies reported improvement in outcome scores. However, other studies did not provide preoperative scores for comparison. Reported complication rates ranged from 0% to 47%. CONCLUSION: Although HTO has been highly advocated and used in treating patients with ligamentous knee instability, there remains a paucity of high-quality studies. Included studies report improvement of instability as well as relatively high patient satisfaction and rate of return to sports. The heterogeneity of the pathology treated, follow-up time, and outcome measures limit comparison between studies.