Six-year outcome after non-surgical versus surgical treatment of acute primary patellar dislocation in adolescents: a prospective randomized trial.

PURPOSE: There is only one prospective randomized trial on acute primary patellar dislocation in adolescents comparing the long-term outcome after conservative versus operative procedures. Therefore, the long-term outcome, patellar redislocation rate, and functional outcome after conservative versus operative procedures were investigated in a prospective randomized study. METHODS: Initially, 36 patients with acute primary patellar dislocation were prospectively randomized to conservative (n = 20) versus operative procedures (n = 16) and 30 of them (83%), 15/20 with conservative and 15/16 with operative procedures, were reached for a follow-up interview 6 years after primary procedure. RESULTS: Baseline and clinical parameters were similar in the two groups. The prevalence of patellar redislocation rate at 3 and 6 years after primary procedure was higher in the conservative group (7/20, 35%, 3 years and 11/15, 73%, 6 years) versus in the operative group (0/16, 0%, 3 years and 5/15, 33%, 6 years) (p = 0.02). The knee function was slightly better 6 years after primary treatment in the operative group than in the conservative group. Most patients in both groups had excellent or good knee function at 6-year follow-up, but four patients (4/15, 27%) in conservative group and two patients (2/15, 13%) in operative group had poor knee function at 6-year follow-up. Four patients in conservative group (4/15, 27%) and two patients in the operative group (2/15, 13%) were unsatisfied with the procedure at 6-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the results suggest that both conservative and operative procedures are feasible options for treatment of acute primary patellar dislocation in adolescents. A new finding with clinical relevance in the present work is a significantly higher redislocation rate in conservative group compared to operative group after 6-year follow-up in acute primary patellar dislocation in adolescents. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

Results of Operative and Nonoperative Treatment of Rockwood Types III and V Acromioclavicular Joint Dislocation: A Prospective, Randomized Trial With an 18- to 20-Year Follow-up.

BACKGROUND: The optimal treatment of acute, complete dislocation of the acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) is still unresolved. PURPOSE: To determine the difference between operative and nonoperative treatment in acute Rockwood types III and V ACJ dislocation. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 2. METHODS: In the operative treatment group, the ACJ was reduced and fixed with 2 transarticular Kirschner wires and ACJ ligament suturing. The Kirschner wires were extracted after 6 weeks. Nonoperatively treated patients received a reduction splint for 4 weeks. At the 18- to 20-year follow-up, the Constant, University of California at Los Angeles Shoulder Rating Scale (UCLA), Larsen, and Simple Shoulder Test (SST) scores were obtained, and clinical and radiographic examinations of both shoulders were performed. RESULTS: Twenty-five of 35 potential patients were examined at the 18- to 20-year follow-up. There were 11 patients with Rockwood type III and 14 with type V dislocations. Delayed surgical treatment for ACJ was used in 2 patients during follow-up: 1 in the operatively treated group and 1 in the nonoperatively treated group. Clinically, ACJs were statistically significantly less prominent or unstable in the operative group than in the nonoperative group (normal/prominent/unstable: 9/4/3 and 0/6/3, respectively; P = .02) and in the operative type III (P = .03) but not type V dislocation groups. In operatively and nonoperatively treated patients, the mean Constant scores were 83 and 85, UCLA scores 25 and 27, Larsen scores 11 and 11, and SST scores 11 and 12 at follow-up, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in type III and type V dislocations. In the radiographic analysis, the ACJ was wider in the nonoperative than the operative group (8.3 vs 3.4 mm; P = .004), and in the type V dislocations (nonoperative vs operative: 8.5 vs 2.4 mm; P = .007). There was no statistically significant difference between study groups in the elevation of the lateral end of the clavicle. Both groups showed equal levels of radiologic signs of ACJ osteoarthritis and calcification of the coracoclavicular ligaments. CONCLUSION: Nonoperative treatment was shown to produce more prominent or unstable and radiographically wider ACJs than was operative treatment, but clinical results were equally good in the study groups at 18- to 20-year follow-up. Both treatment methods showed statistically significant radiographic elevations of the lateral clavicle when compared with a noninjured ACJ.

Dynamic KINE-MRI in patellofemoral instability in adolescents.

PURPOSE: The impact of kinematic MRI (KINE-MRI) in the patellofemoral instability and anterior knee pain of the adolescents is rarely reported. Our special interest was to evaluate the patellofemoral joint biomechanics with KINE-MRI in adolescents with affected and unaffected knees in a case-control study. METHODS: KINE-MRI was performed in 29 adolescents (affected knee group, n = 29 and unaffected knee group, n = 26) aged 11-16 years with unilateral patellofemoral instability. For the control group, we enrolled ten healthy age- and sex-matched volunteers (healthy knee group, n = 19). The study parameters, bisect offset, lateral patellar displacement, patellar tilt angle, sulcus angle and Insall-Salvati ratio at 0, 10, 20 and 30° of flexion-extension, were measured for the affected knee patients (n = 29), unaffected knee patients (n = 26) and the healthy knee subjects (n = 19). RESULTS: The affected knee and the healthy knee subjects had a significant difference in the bisect offset ratio, lateral patellar displacement test and patellar tilt angle test. In these parameters, the difference between the affected knee patients and the healthy knee subjects progressively increased towards the full extension of the knee. In the affected knee and unaffected knee patients, bisect offset ratio at 0° ranged between 0.50 and 1.20 in both groups, whereas the bisect offset ratio in the healthy knee subjects ranged between 0.33 and 0.75 (p < 0.001). At the 0°, the lateral patellar displacement test ranged between 0 and 10 mm in the affected knee patients and between 0 and 35 mm in the unaffected knee patients, whereas the lateral displacement test ranged between 0 and 5 mm in the healthy knee subjects (p = 0.003). Patellar tilt angle test ranged between -30 and 20° in the affected knee patients and between -30 and 24° in the unaffected knee patients, and in the healthy knee subjects, the patellar tilt angle test ranged between 10 and 24° (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The KINE-MRI was able to detect significant differences in patellofemoral joint kinematics between the patients and the healthy subjects. A new finding with clinical relevance in our work is that the unaffected knee is very similar to the dislocated knee in adolescents and this should be taken in account in rehabilitation of patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

Detection and quantification of rotator cuff tears with ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging - a prospective study in 77 consecutive patients with a surgical reference.

The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance artrography (MRA) for the detection and measurement of rotator cuff tears, using surgical findings as a standard. A total of 77 consecutive patients with suspected rotator cuff tears were prospectively studied with US and MRA. Rotator cuff tears were identified by US with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive values of 92%, 45%, 91% and 50%, respectively, and by MRA with values of 97%, 82%, 97% and 82%, respectively. US was not reliable for differentiating between partial and full thickness tears. US and MRA underestimated the tear sizes by an average of 15 mm and 4 mm, respectively. Our results suggest that US could be used as a screening test to confirm a suspected rotator cuff tear. In patients with negative findings, an MRA should be considered for substantiation.