Intra-Articular Dislocation of the Patella With Associated Hoffa Fracture in a Skeletally Immature Patient.

Since 1887, approximately 50 cases of an intra-articular patellar dislocation have been reported in the worldwide literature. The vast majority of patients required an open reduction of the patella or closed reduction under general anesthesia. This injury has never been reported in association with a coronal shear fracture of the femoral condyle. A 14-year-old boy presented to our institution with his left knee locked in flexion after a direct blow. Radiographs showed the patella rotated on its horizontal axis and lying in a transverse position within the knee joint, as well as a concomitant femoral condyle fracture. After a successful closed reduction of the patella, the patient underwent open reduction and rigid fixation of the femoral condyle fracture with countersunk interfragmentary screws. At 12 months, the patient was ambulating on the left leg and had painless motion of the knee. We present a rare injury pattern in a skeletally immature patient after a direct blow to the knee. By treating the injuries in a sequential manner and providing a stable fixation construct, the patient was able to achieve a satisfactory return to function even after sustaining a considerable injury to the knee.

Staged treatment of a chronic patellar sleeve fracture using the Taylor spatial frame.

Patellar sleeve fractures are easily missed injuries since plain radiographs may not show a bony fragment at the time of injury. Failure to diagnose these injuries can result in patellar instability, extensor lag, and anterior knee pain. We report a novel treatment using a Taylor spatial frame as part of a staged reconstruction to regain length of the extensor mechanism and maintain knee motion prior to performing primary repair of the avulsed patellar sleeve fragment. In our case, an 11-year-old male presented to our institution six months after sustaining a patellar sleeve fracture. Radiographic examination with the knee in extension revealed a 23-mm gap between the inferior patellar pole fragment and the remaining patella. The patient was ultimately taken to the operating room twelve months after the initial injury for placement of a Taylor spatial frame to regain length of the extensor mechanism. The patient began immediate knee range-of-motion exercises, and performed daily soft tissue lengthening of two millimeters. After four weeks of treatment the patient underwent removal of the fixator and primary repair of the patella. At final follow up six years after patellar reconstruction, the patient had an active knee range-of-motion from five degrees of hyperextension to 140° of flexion. Where current literature reports suboptimal results even when treatment is delayed for two months, in our case the patient was able to obtain a high level of function after treatment with a two-stage reconstruction using a Taylor spatial frame.

Athletes' ankle injuries: diagnosis and management.

Ankle injuries are common in the general and athletic populations. These injuries constitute 21% of all sports-related injuries. The wide spectrum of sports-related ankle injuries includes ligamentous injuries, soft-tissue and osseous impingement, osteochondral lesions of the talus, tendon injuries, and fractures. Occult lesions (eg, fractures of the lateral process of the talus, fractures of the anterior process of the calcaneus, fractures of the base of the fifth metatarsal, os trigonum, stress fractures) may be missed on initial physical examination, and patients with such injuries often present to a sports clinic with persistent pain around the ankle. Because of increasing participation in sporting events, health care professionals involved in the care of athletes at all levels must have a thorough understanding of the anatomy, pathophysiology, and initial management of ankle injuries. In this review, we describe the pertinent anatomy, pathology, diagnosis, and treatment of sports-related injuries of the ankle.

Chlorhexidine provides superior skin decontamination in foot and ankle surgery: a prospective randomized study.

UNLABELLED: Feet are prone to bacterial contamination. We hypothesized that chlorhexidine scrub and isopropyl alcohol paint provide superior local flora reduction than povidone-iodine scrub and paint. Patients with intact, uninfected skin having clean elective foot and ankle surgery were prospectively enrolled and randomly assigned to skin preparation with povidone-iodine (Group 1) or chlorhexidine scrub and isopropyl alcohol paint (Group 2). Culture swabs (aerobic, anaerobic, acid fast, fungus, and routine antibiotic sensitivity) were taken from all web spaces, nail folds, toe surfaces, and proposed surgical incision sites. One-hundred twenty-seven patients were enrolled (mean age, 46 years; range, 16-85 years). Sixty-seven patients were assigned to Group 1; 60 patients were assigned to Group 2. In Group 1, 53 of 67 patients (79%) had positive cultures; in Group 2, 23 of 60 patients (38%) had positive cultures. These data indicate that chlorhexidine and alcohol provide better reduction in bacterial carriage than povidone-iodine. Based on these data, we recommended chlorhexidine as the surgical preparatory agent for the foot and ankle. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic study, Level I-1a (significant difference). See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Strength and knot security of braided polyester and caprolactone/glycolide suture.

BACKGROUND: Appropriate suture selection is necessary in providing mechanical stability to soft tissue reconstructions. Caprolactone/glycolide (Panacryltrade mark) became a popular suture, possessing excellent handling properties; however, clinical observations questioned the knot security of caprolactone/glycolide. Caprolactone/glycolide is still available on many commercial suture anchor systems. This study compared the security of the knots and ultimate tensile strength of braided caprolactone/glycolide suture to that of a commonly used suture material, braided polyester (Ethibondtrade mark). MATERIALS: Suture knots of No. 2 braided polyester suture and No. 2 braided caprolactone/glycolide suture were submersed in a physiologic saline solution and stressed using a continuous (non-cyclic) load, simulating a single maximal loading event in a clinical setting. Continuous loading was done to achieve clinical suture knot failure (3-mm knot slippage), then continued until catastrophic suture failure (suture breakage) occurred. Ten trials of each suture were tested. RESULTS: Force required to cause knot slippage of 3 mm was greater for braided polyester than for braided caprolactone/glycolide (p <. 0001, unpaired Students' t-test). Forces resulting in catastrophic failure were greater for braided polyester than braided caprolactone/glycolide (p = .0284, unpaired Students' t-test). CONCLUSIONS: These data have important implications in the selection of suture materials for repair of soft tissue injuries. In the clinical setting, a single maximal loading event may result in suture failure. These data indicate that braided polyester possesses superior in-vitro mechanical properties and suggest that braided polyester may provide greater security in-vivo than braided caprolactone/glycolide suture.

Histologic findings with a bioabsorbable anterior cruciate ligament interference screw explant after 2.5 years in vivo.

We retrieved a high-molecular-weight poly-L-lactic) (PLLA) anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) interference screw (Arthrex, Naples, FL) after 30 months in vivo during revision ACL surgery. Gross, histologic, histomorphometric, and molecular weight measurements were carried out on the implant and the surrounding bone. These studies showed a 75% decrease in the molecular weight of the screw, with implant fragmentation and new bone formation adjacent to the screw and graft. Healing of the graft within the bony tunnel with no significant inflammatory reaction had occurred. The clinical implications of these findings are that this implant dissolves slowly, and it was physically present at 30 months in vivo. It is a safe, nonreactive alternative to traditional metal interference screws used for ACL graft fixation. It will eventually be substituted by bone and will eliminate some of the problems associated with metallic devices.