Lateral extra-articular tenodesis at primary ACL reconstruction increases career length in professional rugby players.

PURPOSE: To assess the effect of preoperative and surgical factors on return to play (RTP) rates and career longevity of professional rugby athletes after primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACL-R). METHODS: A retrospective review of a consecutive cohort of professional rugby players undergoing primary ACL-R by the senior author between 2005 and 2019 was undertaken. Athletes were included if they were under contract with a professional rugby team at the time of injury and had a minimum of 2-year follow-up. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine significant predictors of RTP rate, time and career longevity. RESULTS: One hundred and eighteen rugby players with 125 ACL-Rs were identified. Return to professional rugby was achieved in 115/125 (92%) of cases at an average of 9.6 months and those athletes participated at the professional level for 5.9 ± 3.4 years after ACL-R. Younger age (p = 0.006) and ACL-R with a concomitant lateral extra-articular tenodesis (LET) (p = 0.013) were predictors of a longer career. A Cox proportional hazards model that controlled for age revealed that athletes who underwent ACL-R with an LET had increased career longevity compared to those with an ACL-R without LET (hazard ratio = 2.74, p = 0.021). No factors were significantly associated with RTP rate or RTP time. CONCLUSION: In professional rugby players undergoing primary ACL-R, those having ACL-R with a concomitant LET and younger age predicted increased career longevity. Rugby players who underwent LET at the time of ACL-R had an 18% greater chance of still playing professionally at 5 years compared to those who underwent ACL-R alone. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Career Length After Surgically Treated ACL Plus Collateral Ligament Injury in Elite Athletes.

BACKGROUND: Limited data are available regarding career length and competition level after combined anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial- or lateral-sided surgeries in elite athletes. PURPOSE: To evaluate career length after surgical treatment of combined ACL plus medial collateral ligament (MCL) and ACL plus posterolateral corner (PLC) injuries in elite athletes and, in a subgroup analysis of male professional soccer players, to compare career length and competition level after combined ACL+MCL or ACL+PLC surgeries with a cohort who underwent isolated ACL reconstruction (ACLR). STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: A consecutive cohort of elite athletes undergoing combined ACL+MCL and ACL+PLC surgery was analyzed between February 2001 and October 2019. A subgroup of male elite soccer players from this population was compared with a previously identified cohort having had isolated primary ACLR without other ligament surgery. A minimum 2-year follow-up was required. Outcome measures were career length and competition level. RESULTS: A total of 98 elite athletes met the inclusion criteria, comprising 50 ACL+PLC and 48 ACL+MCL surgeries. The mean career length after surgical treatment of combined ACL+MCL and ACL+PLC injuries was 4.5 years. Return-to-play (RTP) time was significantly longer for ACL+PLC injuries (12.8 months; P = .019) than for ACL+MCL injuries (10.9 months). In the subgroup analysis of soccer players, a significantly lower number of players with combined ACL+PLC surgery were able to RTP (88%; P = .003) compared with 100% for ACL+MCL surgery and 97% for isolated ACLR, as well as requiring an almost 3 months longer RTP timeline (12.9 months; P = .002) when compared with the isolated ACL (10.2 months) and combined ACL+MCL (10.0 months) groups. However, career length and competition level were not significantly different between groups. CONCLUSION: Among elite athletes, the mean career length after surgical treatment of combined ACL+MCL and ACL+PLC injuries was 4.5 years. Professional soccer players with combined ACL+PLC surgery returned at a lower rate and required a longer RTP time when compared with the players with isolated ACL or combined ACL+MCL injuries. However, those who did RTP had the same career longevity and competition level.

Maternal low-dose caffeine intake during the perinatal period promotes short- and long-term sex-dependent hormonal and behavior changes in the offspring.

AIM: Maternal caffeine crosses the placenta and mammary barriers, reaching the baby and, because his/her caffeine metabolism is immature, our hypothesis is that even a low caffeine intake (250 mg/day), lower than the dose limit recommended by the World Health Organization, can promote caffeine overexposure in the offspring, leading to short- and long-term changes. MAIN METHODS: Pregnant Wistar rats received intragastric caffeine (CAF) (25 mg/Kg/day) or vehicle during the gestation and lactation periods. We evaluated morphometrical, metabolic, hormonal, and behavioral parameters of male and female offspring at different ages. KEY FINDINGS: Even a low caffeine intake promoted lower maternal body mass and adiposity, higher plasma cholesterol and lower plasma T3, without changes in plasma corticosterone. Female CAF offspring exhibited lower birth weight, body mass gain and food intake throughout life, and hyperinsulinemia at weaning, while male CAF offspring showed reduced food intake and lower plasma T3 at weaning. At puberty and adulthood, male CAF showed higher preference for palatable food, aversion to caffeine intake and higher locomotor activity, while female CAF only showed lower preference for high fat diet (HFD) and lower anxiety-like behavior. At adulthood, both male and female offspring showed higher plasma T3. Male CAF showed hypertestosteronemia, while female CAF showed hypoinsulinemia without effect on glucose tolerance. SIGNIFICANCE: A low caffeine intake during the perinatal period affects rat's offspring development, promoting sex-dependent hormonal and behavior changes. Current data suggest the need to review caffeine recommendations during the perinatal period.

Determinants of Performance in Professional Soccer Players at 2 and 5 Years After ACL Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: A number of studies have investigated return to play after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) in professional soccer players, but it is unclear which factors are associated with a return to the preinjury performance and ability to play over time. PURPOSE: To identify factors that contribute to a professional soccer player's return to preinjury performance after ACLR, as well as to report their playing performance at 2 and 5 years after ACLR compared with their preinjury performance. STUDY DESIGN: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: A consecutive cohort of professional soccer players undergoing primary ACLR were analyzed between 2005 and 2019. A minimum 2-year follow-up was required. The effect of patient, surgical, and postoperative factors on performance rates, defined as a combination of league level and playing time, was evaluated with univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 200 male professional soccer players were included. When combining league level and playing time, 30% of athletes returned to their preinjury performance at 2 years and 22% at 5 years. However, 53% of athletes returned to their preinjury performance for at least 1 season by year 5. At 2 years, a chondral lesion of grade 3 or 4 decreased the odds of return to preinjury performance (odds ratio [OR], 0.37; P = .010). Athletes receiving an ACLR with the addition of a lateral extra-articular tenodesis procedure were 2.42 times more likely to return to preinjury performance at 2 years than athletes with ACLR alone (P = .004). By 5 years after ACLR, athletes aged ≥25 years at the time of reconstruction were 3 times less likely to be performing at their preinjury performance (OR, 0.32; P < .001), and those with a grade ≥3 chondral lesion were >2 times less likely to be performing at their preinjury performance (OR, 0.43; P = .033). CONCLUSION: The presence of >50% thickness chondral pathology, ACLR without lateral extra-articular tenodesis, and age >25 years at the time of surgery were all significant risk factors of worse performance rates after ACLR. Significant decreases in performance rates were noted at 2 and 5 years postoperatively.

A Comparison of All-inside and Inside-out Meniscal Repair in Elite Athletes.

BACKGROUND: The popularization of all-inside (AI) meniscal repair devices has led to a shift away from the historical gold standard of inside-out (IO) meniscal repair without comparative studies to support the change. PURPOSE: To compare the failure rate and time to failure of AI and IO meniscal repair performed in elite athletes. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of all professional and national- and international-level amateur athletes who underwent meniscal repair, with a minimum of 2-year follow-up between January 2013 and September 2019. Meniscal repair was classified as AI or IO depending on the surgical technique performed. Treatment failure was defined as patients having to undergo subsequent surgery to address a persistent meniscal tear after repair. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to determine if meniscal repair failure rates differed by the location and technique of meniscal repair. Models were controlled for known risk factors such as age, sex, sport, and concurrent cruciate ligament reconstruction. RESULTS: A total of 192 (135 lateral and 57 medial) meniscal repairs were performed in elite athletes during the study period. Overall, 41 (21%) meniscal repairs met the criteria for failure. Medial meniscal tears repaired with the AI technique failed at a significantly higher rate (18/31 [58%]) than medial meniscal tears repaired with the IO technique (6/26 [23%]) or lateral meniscal tears repaired with the AI (9/76 [12%]) or IO (8/59 [14%]) technique (P < .001). Cox proportional hazards modeling revealed that a medial meniscal tear repaired with the AI technique had an almost 8 times greater hazard of failure than a lateral meniscal tear repaired with the AI technique (P < .001). At 1 year postoperatively, 8% of lateral meniscal repairs had failed (regardless of technique), while medial meniscal tears failed at a rate of 16% with the IO technique and 42% with the AI technique. By 2 years, 53% of medial meniscal tears repaired with the AI technique had failed, and by 5 years, 63% had failed. CONCLUSION: AI repair of medial meniscal tears led to a higher rate of failure than IO repair of medial or lateral meniscal tears in elite athletes. Medial meniscal repair failed at a higher rate than lateral meniscal repair.

Rebranding the 'anatomic' ACL reconstruction: Current concepts.

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a complex ribbon-like structure, which is approximately 3.5 times larger at the tibial and femoral insertions than at the midpoint. Accordingly, it is impossible to recreate with a single cylindrical graft. However, this has not stopped surgeons from using the term "anatomic" to describe multiple ACL reconstruction techniques inserting at a number of different locations within the original ACL footprint, causing confusion. The term "anatomic" should be discarded and replaced by an anatomic description of the tunnel placements on the tibia and femur. Current ACL reconstruction techniques cite anatomical studies that identified "direct and indirect fibres" of the ACL. The "direct fibres" bear 85-95% of the load and provide the main resistance to both anterior tibial translation and internal rotation/pivot shift. On the femur, these fibres insert in a line just posterior to the intercondylar ridge and comprise the portion of the ACL that surgeons should strive to restore. Placement of the graft just posterior to the intercondylar ridge creates a line of placement options from the anteromedial bundle to the "central" position and finally to the posterolateral bundle position. The authors prefer placing the femoral tunnel in the isometric anteromedial position and addressing a high-grade pivot shift at the IT-band with a lateral extra-articular tenodesis. As with the femoral tunnel, the native ACL footprint on the tibia is much larger than the ACL graft and thus can be placed in multiple "anatomic" locations. The authors prefer placement of the tibial tunnel in the anterior most position of the native footprint that does not cause impingement in the femoral notch. Additional research is needed to determine the ideal tunnel positions on the femur and tibia and validating the technique with patient outcomes. However, this cannot be accomplished without describing tunnel placement with specific anatomical locations so other surgeons can replicate the technique.

Rates and Levels of Elite Sport Participation at 5 Years After Revision ACL Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of data regarding return to play (RTP), level of competition, and longevity of play after revision of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) in elite athletes. PURPOSE: To report RTP rates and competition levels in elite athletes at the point of RTP, as well as at 2 and 5 years after revision ACLR, and the effect of meniscal and chondral pathology at revision surgery on these outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: A retrospective review of a consecutive series of all revision ACLRs undertaken by the senior author between 2009 and 2019, with a minimum 2-year follow-up, was carried out. Outcome measures were RTP rates and competition level. RESULTS: A total of 49 knees in 48 elite athletes met the inclusion criteria. After revision ACLR, 43 (87.8%) elite athletes achieved RTP, of whom 75.5% were at the same level. At 2 years after surgery, 39 (79.6%) were still playing, 25 (51%) at the same level; at 5 years after surgery, 20 (44.4%) were still playing, 9 (20%) at the same level. Elite athletes with <50% thickness or no articular cartilage lesions were more likely to RTP (94.6% vs 66.7%; P = .026), as well as return to the same competition level (83.8% vs 50%; P = .047), compared with those with ≥50% thickness chondral lesions. Those without medial meniscal pathology were more likely to RTP at the same level after revision surgery (94.4% vs 64.5%; P = .036). The median time elite athletes continued to play after revision ACLR was 73 months (95% CI, 43.4-102.6); 23 months at the same level (95% CI, 13.6-32.4). The probability of still playing at 5 years after surgery was 55.9%, with a 22.5% chance of maintaining preinjury competition level. CONCLUSION: In elite athletes, RTP rates and competition level decreased over time after revision ACLR. The presence of >50% thickness chondral pathology was associated with lower RTP rates and competition level at RTP time, while medial meniscal pathology was associated with lower competition level at RTP.

Effect of Lateral Extra-articular Tenodesis on the Rate of Revision Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Elite Athletes.

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence that anterolateral procedures can reduce the risk of rerupture in high-risk recreational athletes undergoing primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR). However, this effectiveness has never been evaluated in elite athletes. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of lateral extra-articular tenodesis (LET) in reducing revision rates in primary ACLR in elite athletes. Additionally, this study evaluated whether LET had a greater effect when combined with ACLR utilizing a hamstring or patellar tendon graft. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: A consecutive cohort of elite athletes with an isolated ACL tear undergoing autograft patellar or hamstring tendon reconstruction with or without Lemaire LET were analyzed between 2005 and 2018. A minimum 2-year follow-up was required. The association between the use of LET and ACL graft failure as defined by revision ACLR was evaluated with univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 455 elite athletes (83% men and overall age 22.5 ± 4.7 years) underwent primary ACLR with (n = 117) or without (n = 338) a LET procedure. Overall, 36 athletes (7.9%) experienced ACL graft failure, including 32 (9.5%) reconstructions without a LET and 4 (3.4%) with a LET. Utilization of LET during primary ACLR reduced the risk of graft failure by 2.8 times, with 16.5 athletes needing LET to prevent a single ACL graft failure. Multivariate models showed that LET significantly reduced the risk of graft rupture (relative risk = 0.325; P = .029) as compared with ACLR alone after controlling for sex and age at ACLR. Including graft type in the model did not significantly change the risk profile, and although a patellar tendon graft had a slightly lower risk of failure, this was not statistically significant (P = .466). CONCLUSION: The addition of LET reduced the risk of undergoing revision by 2.8 times in elite athletes undergoing primary ACLR. This risk reduction did not differ significantly between the patellar tendon and hamstring tendon autografts. With these results, status as an elite athlete should be included in the indications for a LET, as they are at increased risk for ACL graft failure.

High return to play rate following treatment of multiple-ligament knee injuries in 136 elite athletes.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study is to assess return to play rate and timing of elite athletes treated for multi-ligament knee injuries with modern surgical techniques. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of all professional or national/international level athletes treated for a multi-ligament knee injury by the senior author in the period from February 2001 to October 2019, with a minimum of 2-year follow-up. The study cohort consisted of 136 elite athletes who underwent surgery of two or more knee ligaments. Outcomes measures were return to play (RTP), defined as return to elite level sport, return to play time, and further surgical procedures. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty (88.2%) athletes returned to elite level sport at an average of 12.8 months from operation. In unicruciate injuries, ACL and PCL-based injuries had similar return to play rates (89.1% vs. 87.5% respectfully, n.s.) although mean RTP time was longer in those with PCL-based injuries (15.2 vs. 11.9 months, p < 0.01). Bicruciate injuries had longer RTP times compared to unicruciate injuries (mean RTP 16.0vs. 12.4 months, p < 0.05) but were able to return at a similar rate (83.3% vs. 88.9%, n.s.). Medial and lateral sided injuries had similar RTP rates (89.3% vs. 87.9%, n.s.) though lateral sided injuries took longer before returning to play (13.4 vs. 11.6 months, p < 0.05). Further surgery was required in 54 (39.9%) patients including 25 (18.4%) manipulations under anaesthesia. Four (2.9%) of the athletes underwent revision ligament surgery. CONCLUSION: Modern surgical techniques used in the treatment of multi-ligament knee injuries can lead to high return to play rates in elite athletes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Factors affecting return to play and graft re-rupture after primary ACL reconstruction in professional footballers.

PURPOSE: Modern ACL reconstruction (ACL-R) techniques have led to improved outcomes in professional footballers. The aim of this study was to identify and assess patient, surgical and post-operative factors that affected rates and time to return to play (RTP) as well as ACL re-rupture rates. METHODS: A retrospective review of consecutive ACL-R undertaken in professional footballers between 2005 and 2018. RESULTS: Two-hundred and thirty-two knees in 215 professional footballers (17 bilateral) were included. 205 (88.9%) were male and average age at surgery was 23.3 ± 4.4 years. Two-hundred and twenty-two (96.1%) returned to professional football, with 209 (90.1%) returning to the same or higher Tegner level. Subgroup analysis revealed three factors that independently affected RTP rate: (1) Players under 25 years had a higher rate of RTP (99.3% vs 90.2%. p = 0.001); (2) a subsequent operation prior to RTP decreased RTP rate from 98.2 to 89.7% (p = 0.009).; (3) undergoing meniscal surgery at ACL-R decreased RTP rate (p = 0.002). The mean time to RTP from surgery was 10.5 ± 3.6 months. Factors found to increase RTP time included age under 25 (11.0 vs 9.7 months, p = 0.005), recurrent effusions (11.4 vs 10.2 months, p = 0.035), and medial meniscal repair at ACL-R compared to meniscectomy (12.5 vs 9.6 months, p = 0.022). The surgical technique varied over the study period in relation to graft type, femoral tunnel position and addition of lateral extra-articular tenodesis (LET). Overall, the re-rupture rate was 8.2% at 2 years. Patella tendon autograft in an anteromedial bundle femoral tunnel position with addition of LET has the lowest re-rupture rate (2.0%). CONCLUSION: Primary ACL-R in professional footballers yields high rates of RTP (96.1%), with 90.1% at the same level or higher, at a mean 10.5 months. Patients under 25 years not only had a significantly higher RTP rate, but also had a lengthier period of rehabilitation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

Maternal protein-free diet during lactation programs male Wistar rat offspring for increased novelty-seeking, locomotor activity, and visuospatial performance.

It is well established that chronic undernutrition has detrimental impacts on brain development and maturation. However, protein malnutrition during the period specifically encompassing the brain growth spurt has not been widely studied, particularly regarding its effects on adolescent and adult offspring behavior. Here, we assessed the effects of a protein-free diet during the 1st 10 postnatal days on the macronutrient content of the milk produced by lactating Wistar rats, on their maternal behavior, and on the offspring's behavior. Lactating dams were fed either a protein-free or a normoprotein diet from litter parturition to Postnatal Day 10 (P10). All dams received the normoprotein diet after P10. Offspring were tested in the elevated plus-maze (anxiety-like behavior), hole board arena (novelty-seeking and locomotor activity), and radial arm water maze (memory-learning) at either P40 (adolescents) or P90 (adults). The protein-free diet reduced milk protein content at P10 but not at P20. Carbohydrate and lipid contents were unaffected. Serum corticosterone levels in the offspring (at P10, P40, or P90) and dams (at P21) were not affected by the protein-free diet. Maternal behavior was also unchanged. In the offspring, no differences were observed between groups regarding anxiety-like behaviors at both ages. The protein-free diet increased adolescent locomotor activity as well as adult novelty-seeking behavior and memory performance. Our results indicate that the brain growth spurt period is particularly sensitive to protein malnutrition, showing that even a brief nutritional insult during this period can cause specific age-dependent behavioral effects on the offspring. (PsycINFO Database Record