C-reactive protein changes in the uncomplicated course of arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

The diagnosis of septic arthritis following arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is often elusive and can only be confirmed by joint aspiration, although arthrocentesis carries a risk for superinfection. C-reactive protein (CRP) may prove a useful laboratory test to substantiate clinical suspicion. The present study investigated the post-operative variations of CRP in 58 patients (age range 15-52, median age 25) undergoing ACL reconstruction with either bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) or hamstring tendon (HT) who did not develop infection at 6 months follow-up. CRP titre was determined on the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 15th, and 30th post-operative day by immunoprecipitation in patients divided according to the type of autograft (BPTB: 13 patients; HT: 45 patients). Mean CRP significantly increased on the 1st post-operative day, peaked on the 3rd day and decreased on the 7th day, while levels on the 15th and 30th days did not differ from baseline. The trend of CRP changes did not differ in relation to the type of autograft. The results of our study suggest that close clinical surveillance may be advisable when CRP levels deviate from the reference values 2 weeks after surgery. In these circumstances, suspicion of septic arthritis warrants aspiration and culturing in order to avert a diagnostic delay.

Health-related quality of life in patients with anterior cruciate ligament insufficiency undergoing arthroscopic reconstruction: a practice-based Italian normative group in comorbid-free patients.

BACKGROUND: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) insufficiency has not been assessed in comorbid-free patients to date. An observational study was therefore conducted on a practice-based sample to test the hypothesis that SF-36 scoring in patients with chronic ACL insufficiency differs from the age- and gender-matched Italian norm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chronically ACL-insufficient patients with or without meniscal and/or focal chondral lesions were enrolled in the study. Exclusion criteria were acute ACL tear, severe and diffuse chondral lesions, concomitant knee major ligamentous injuries and/or fractures requiring surgery, previous ACL surgery and infectious, neoplastic and inflammatory disease. Knee function was evaluated by International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) form, HRQoL with the SF-36 questionnaire, and associated medical comorbidities by a Self-Administered Comorbidity Questionnaire (SCQ). RESULTS: A total of 316 consecutive patients, 265 males and 51 females (median age 25 years, range 15-52 years) met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. SF-36 norm-based scoring showed that the Physical Functioning, Role Physical, Bodily Pain, and Social Functioning domains were significantly lower than the Italian norm; the Role Emotional domain was also lower than the norm, but the difference was not significant. Conversely, the General Health and Mental Health domains scored significantly higher than the norm; the Vitality domain also exceeded, albeit not significantly, the norm. CONCLUSIONS: The decision-making process leading to ACL reconstruction currently emphasises the evaluation of knee function and patients' level of activity. The findings in our study, by showing that chronic ACL insufficiency significantly affects HRQoL in otherwise healthy patients, suggest that a multidimensional evaluation including HRQoL in addition to knee function might be integrated into outcome assessment.

Single-bundle versus double-bundle arthroscopic reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament: what does the available evidence suggest?

The introduction of the double-bundle technique as a surgical option for primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery stems from the hypothesis that replicating the double-bundle anatomy of the native ACL improves knee kinematics by supplying better rotational control. We performed a systematic review of the literature comparing double-bundle with standard single-bundle reconstruction methods. One RCT and three quasi-RCTs with a one-to two-year follow-up were included in this review. On the basis of these studies, ACL reconstruction with a double-bundle technique leads to less residual pivot-shift as assessed on manual and instrumented tests. Conflicting results exist as to whether the double-bundle technique leads to less side-to-side anterior tibial translation, and no significant differences were found regarding proprioception, flexorextensor peak torque and knee function as assessed with the International Knee Documentation Committee score. On the other hand, better subjective knee functionwas found in one quasi-RCT. However, there is a lack of correlation between these kinematic differences and an as yet unproven clinical effect. Uncertainties also exist regarding the mid- and long-term performances of the ACL reconstructed with a double-bundle technique. Comparison between the single-bundle and double-bundle techniques should be expanded to cover unresolved issues such as the rate of complications from a more challenging surgical technique, the risk of complicating revision surgery due to the presence of two tunnels, and the cost-effectiveness of a procedure with a higher consumption of fixation devices. The doublebundle technique should be further investigated by experienced knee surgeons in studies with higher methodological quality.

Biomechanical factors affecting progression of structural scoliotic curves of the spine.

The development of the spine is affected by both biological and mechanical factors. As the geometry of the motion segment changes throughout growth, so does the mechanical behaviour of the spine owing to changing vectors acting on a variable geometry system. The biomechanical analysis of the growing spine enables the assessment of the role played by biological and mechanical factors in the pathogenesis of progressive scoliosis to be assessed and its comparison with factors acting on an adult scoliotic spine. The knowledge of these principles is instrumental to setting the right parameters for treatment and to design braces that may be capable of obtaining correction of the deformity. The elastic behaviour of child and adult spine differs because of both physiologic and pathologic conditions. In child scoliosis an abnormal geometry causes a persistent stress concentration in crucial areas of the motion segment. This induces a progressive elasto-plastic strain which modifies the geometry of the motion segment, thus worsening the stress concentration and the excessive strain through a vicious cycle. In adult scoliosis, on the other hand, deformation primarily affects the viscous-elastic structures, namely the intervertebral disc and the capsulo-ligamentous structures. This produces instabilty of the motion segments and slow deformation of the vertebrae through remodelling. It therefore ensues that the aim of the treatment differs in both conditions. In the child spine the aim is to prevent the motion segment deformity by means of braces which adequately modifies the stress distribution acting on the spine, thus enabling the spine to grow according to a quasi-physiological model. In adult scoliosis a stable equilibrium is required in order to prevent further deformation of the motion segment.

Study of vertebral morphology in Scheuermann's kyphosis before and after treatment.

Variation of vertebral morphology in Scheuermann's Kyphosis before and after orthopedic treatment is usually measured by the entity of the curve, using Cobb's method, and by vertebral wedging. But the lack of correlation between these parameters and the clinical evolution of the deformity, lead to the possibility of other alterations that can explain part of the kyphosis deformities before and after the treatment. In this group of alterations the inclination of anterior and posterior walls, that express the trapezoid deformity of vertebras, seem to be more reliable indicators of curve response to ortopedic treatment.

Biomechanics of the conservative treatment in idiopathic scoliotic curves in surgical "grey-area".

The biomechanical behaviour of the spine significantly varies in relation to the age of the spine. Particularly, the elastic behaviour of the intervertebral discs has been proved to change during the spine growth, which changes the disc reaction to externally imparted forces. The biomechanical analysis of the G modulus of torsion rigidity of the intervertebral disc shows that the G values progressively increase through growth, which favours the progression of early scoliotic curves. At the same time, however, early structural scoliosis is more amenable to conservative treatment owing to the residual growth potential of the spine. Whereas indications to surgical treatment of scoliotic curves has been based upon the magnitude of the curves as measured according to the Cobb method, two additional factors affect the chance of correcting a scoliotic curve, The first is the residual growth potential of the vertebrae. In fact, a longer residual growth allows for external forces to be applied so as to change the growth model of the scoliotic spine, which ensures a stable correction of the deformity when these external forces are removed. The second is the magnitude of the elastic deformation of the intervertebral discs. It has been suggested that a deformation beyond the disc elastic behaviour, by producing hysteresis of the disc, renders the disc less susceptible to transferring the load to the neighbouring vertebral bodies, thus impairing remodelling. It ensues that both the age and the magnitude of rotation affects the success of conservative treatment and not only the magnitude in Cobb degrees. The curve localization adds to these two parameters, thoracic curves being stiffer than thoracolumbar and lumbar curves.

Intraneural cyst of the peroneal nerve.

A 15-year-old girl was referred to us because of foot drop. The motor deficit was characterized by a peculiar fluctuating course related to sporting activity: improvement of symptoms during no-sport periods and worsening during sport training. Neurophysiological examination revealed marked global impairment of muscles innervated by the peroneal nerve. Ultrasound and MRI showed a mass in close proximity to the neck of the fibula extending in a tubular fashion. At operation an intraneural lesion was found and was totally removed. Histology revealed that it was an intraneural cyst. A hypothesis on the pathogenesis was drawn up. One year after the operation a clinical and neurophysiological follow-up was performed.

Surgery of osteoarticular tuberculosis.

Because of the increasing incidence of tuberculosis consequent on the increasing number of patients with drug-related or HIV-induced immunosuppression, the problems of the invasive or noninvasive treatment of osteoarticular tuberculosis have come up again. While the approach aimed at the elimination of infectious foci with an adequate combination of medical therapy with a conservative treatment or surgery is still valid, the advanced technology of osteosynthesis systems and prosthetic replacement for spinal, hip and knee involvement respectively, with suitable indications, affords new solutions of surgical technique. The objective is to achieve surgical procedures that preserve at best the physiology of locomotor apparatus.

Immunohistochemical investigation on type III and VI collagen organization in human intervertebral discs in the neonatal period.

Nine L5-S1 discs from cadavers following death at ages ranging from 28 weeks of gestation to 1 month after birth were analysed immunohistochemically to investigate type III and VI collagen organization in neonatal discs. The annulus fibrosus stained poorly with the anti-type III antibody. The transition zone and the nucleus pulposus showed a fibrillary framework. No clear pericellular staining was detected. Poor staining with the anti-type VI antibody was detected in the annulus. Single pericellular rings were observed in the transition zone and in the nucleus. The pericellular rings were never multilayered. Type III and VI collagen organization in the newborn is similar to that observed in adults and in the aged. Multiple pericellular rings are never observed. Further research on diseased and healthy intervertebral discs may help clarify which disc changes are age-related and which follow on from degeneration.

[The role of computed tomography and magnetic resonance in assessing degenerative arthropathy of the lumbar articular facets]. / Ruolo della Tomografia Computerizzata e della Risonanza Magnetica nella valutazione della artropatia degenerativa delle faccette articolari lombari.

Degenerative arthropathy of the lumbar facet joints remains a debated issue relative to both its etiopathogenesis and its clinical significance. The authors studied 9 autoptic specimens by means of CT and MRI: the diagnostic value of the two methods was assessed taking the histopathologic findings of the relative specimens as the gold standard. The following signs of degenerative arthropathy were investigated in each specimen: cartilaginous wears, hypertrophy of the articular processes, osteophytosis, subchondral sclerosis and geodes and capsular and ligamentous calcifications. CT clearly demonstrated the characteristic signs of arthropathy, although failing to assess the cartilaginous wears in the early degeneration phases. Cartilaginous surface tears were directly depicted by MRI in the specimens showing medium and advanced degeneration. In our opinion, CT represents the examination of choice in the diagnosis of degenerative arthropathy of the lumbar apophyseal joints. Nevertheless, human trials are needed to assess MR capabilities in better detailing subchondral bone structure and in depicting the joint capsule and the synovial membrane and fluid as a major MR potential to diagnose back pain syndromes arising from the posterior arch.