Psychological, physical and social factors influence decision to return to sport after revision ACL reconstruction with BPTB graft.

PURPOSE: There is limited evidence in literature regarding the patient-reported factors that influence their return to sport (RTS) in revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). The medium-term results of a prospective consecutive cohort of patients undergoing single- and two-stage revision ACLR with bone patellar tendon bone graft (BPTB) and patient-reported factors that influence their decision to return to sport are presented in this study. METHODS: Seventy-two patients were included in this prospective study. Single- or two-stage revision with BPTB graft was performed based on pre-operative planning. Iliac crest bone graft was used. Pre-operative and follow-up Lysholm and Tegner activity scores and RTS, level of sport and patient-reported factors affecting RTS were recorded. The mean follow-up was 9 years (SD 2.7 years). RESULTS: Single-stage revision ACLR was performed in 61 patients. In 11 patients (15%), revision ACLR was performed in two stages. There was a significant improvement in Lysholm score from mean 51.1 to 86.7 (p < 0.001). The incidence of re-rupture in this cohort was 0%. The median Tegner score was 6 (range 2-9). Twenty-five patients (34.7%) did not return to any sport at final follow-up. Twenty-nine (40.2%) patients returned to their pre-injury level of sport. Fear of reinjury (79%, p < 0.001) and persistent knee symptoms (35.8%, p = 0.03) were the most common factors limiting RTS in non-returners. CONCLUSION: Psychological and social factors may have an influence on RTS in addition to physical factors. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Autologous cell-free serum preparations in the management of knee osteoarthritis: what is the current clinical evidence?

BACKGROUND: There is paucity in the current literature regarding clinical outcomes of autologous cell-free serum preparations. The objective of this paper is to collate the clinical evidence and review the results of intraarticular injections of autologous cell-free serum preparations in the management of knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: A comprehensive English literature search was undertaken using the healthcare database website (https://hdas.nice.org.uk/). The PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, Embase and the Cochrane library databases were searched to identify all studies of autologous protein solution/autologous conditioned serum (ACS/APS) in the management of knee OA. We evaluated the reported clinical outcomes with respect to pain, function, morbidity, adverse effects and complications. RESULTS: Fifteen relevant articles were identified in the current literature. Outcomes following injection of ACS/APS have been reported in patients with age range (34-87 years) and unilateral or bilateral knee OA. Seven studies reported improvement in visual analog scale (VAS) whereas the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis instrument (WOMAC) score improved in nine studies. Considerable variation was noted in the injection technique and duration of post-procedure assessment with only one study reporting long-term follow-up beyond 24 months. Joint swelling and injection-site pain were reported to be the most common complications; only one study reported a case of septic arthritis. However, no evidence is available to clearly identify factors that may predict the outcomes following this procedure. CONCLUSION: Current data from the clinical studies would suggest that the intraarticular administration of autologous cell-free serum preparations, such as ACS/APS, in patients with knee OA may improve pain and function, with limited morbidity. High-quality clinical trials with stratified patient cohorts, longer follow-up duration and robust reporting of outcome measures are essential to improve the understanding of the indications and clinical effectiveness of these novel products.

Lactobacillus as a rare cause of an infected total knee replacement: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: We report a rare case of an infected revision total knee replacement as a result of a Lactobacillus species infection. Lactobacillus infections have been associated with prolonged broad-spectrum antibiotic use. This can have implications in revision surgery, especially when patients have been on previous long-term suppressive antibiotic therapy. CASE PRESENTATION: An 81-year-old British man with a previous history of complex revision knee arthroplasty for infection presented with a hot, swollen knee joint. He had previously been on long-term suppressive antibiotic therapy. Aspiration of the knee joint yielded a culture of Lactobacillus species. CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing revision joint arthroplasty, especially for previous infection, the presence of common and uncommon bacterial species must be excluded and eradicated before further surgical intervention.