Late-stage rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A multicentre randomised controlled trial (PReP).

BACKGROUND: At the completion of formal rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, functional capacity is only restored in a small proportion of affected individuals. Therefore, the end of formal rehabilitation is not the end of functional rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE: To compare adherence to and effectiveness of a late-stage rehabilitation programme with usual care after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. METHODS: This prospective, double-blind, multicentre, parallel group, randomised controlled trial, included people aged 18 to 35 years after formal rehabilitation completion (mean [SD] 241 [92] days post-reconstruction). Participants were block-randomised to a 5-month neuromuscular performance intervention (Stop-X group) or usual care (medically prescribed standard physiotherapy, individual formal rehabilitation, home-exercises). All outcomes were measured once/month. Primary outcome was the normalised knee separation distance on landing after drop jump. Baseline-adjusted linear mixed models were calculated. RESULTS: In total, 112 participants (Stop-X: 57; Usual care: 55,) were analysed. Initially, mean (SD) intervention frequency (units/week) was higher in the Stop-X than the Usual care group: 2.65 (0.96) versus 2.48 (1.14) units/week in the first and 2.28 (1.02) versus 2.14 (1.31) units/week in the second month. No between-group*time(*baseline)-differences were found for the primary outcome. Between-group*time-effects favoured the Stop-X-group at 2 months (fewer self-reported knee problems during sport, KOOS-SPORT) (estimate = 64.3, 95 % CI 24.4-104.3 for the Stop-X), more confidence to return to sport (ACL-RSI) (62.4, 10.7-114.2), fewer pain-associated knee problems (KOOS-PAIN) (82.8, 36.0-129.6), improved everyday activity abilities (KOOS-ADL) (71.1, 6.4-135.7), and improved limb symmetry index in the front hop for distance at 3 and 4 months (0.34, 0.10-0.57; 0.31, 0.08-0.54). No between-group*time-effects occurred for kinesiophobia, symptom-associated knee problems or balance hops performance. At the end of the intervention, 79 % of the Stop-X and 70 % of the Usual care participants (p < 0.05) had successfully returned to their pre-injury sport type and level. CONCLUSIONS: The Stop-X intervention was slightly superior to usual care as part of late-stage rehabilitation after ACL-reconstruction. The small benefit might justify its use after formal rehabilitation completion.

The End of the Formal Rehabilitation Is Not the End of Rehabilitation: Knee Function Deficits Remain After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

OBJECTIVE: To rate athletes' functional ability and return to sport (RTS) success at the end of their individual, formal, medically prescribed rehabilitation after anterior anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. METHODS: In our prospective multicenter cohort study, 88 (42 females) adults aged 18-35 years after acute unilateral ACL rupture and subsequent hamstring grafting were included. All patients were prospectively monitored during their rehabilitation and RTS process until the end of their formal rehabilitation and RTS release. As outcome measures, functional hop and jump tests (front hop, balance hops, and drop jump screening test) and self-report outcomes (Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, ACL-RTS after injury) were assessed. Literature-based cut-off values were selected to rate each performance as fulfilled or not. RESULTS: At 7.5 months (SD 2.3 months) after surgery, the percentage of participants meeting the functional thresholds ranged from 4% (Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score SPORT) and over 44% (ACL-RTS after injury sum score) to 59% (Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score activities of all daily living) in the self-report and from 29% (Balance side hop) to 69% (normalized knee separation distance) in performance testing. Only 4% fulfilled all the cut-offs, while 45% returned to the same type and level of sport. Participants who successfully returned to their previous sport (type and level) were more likely to be "over-cut-off-performers." CONCLUSIONS: The low share of the athletes who fulfilled the functional RTS criteria highlights the importance of continuing the rehabilitation measures after the formal completion to assess the need for and success of, inter alia, secondary-preventive therapies.

Contributors to self-report motor function after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Numerous functional factors may interactively contribute to the course of self-report functional abilities after anterior cruciate ligament  (ACL)-reconstruction. This study purposes to identify these predictors using exploratory moderation-mediation models in a cohort study design. Adults with post unilateral ACL reconstruction (hamstring graft) status and who were aiming to return to their pre-injury type and level of sport were included. Our dependent variables were self-reported function, as assessed by the the KOOS subscales sport (SPORT), and activities of daily living (ADL). The independent variables assessed were the KOOS subscale pain and the time since reconstruction [days]. All other variables (sociodemographic, injury-, surgery-, rehabilitation-specific, kinesiophobia (Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia), and the presence or absence of COVID-19-associated restrictions) were further considered as moderators, mediators, or co-variates. Data from 203 participants (mean 26 years, SD 5 years) were finally modelled. Total variance explanation was 59% (KOOS-SPORT) and 47% (KOOS-ADL). In the initial rehabilitation phase (< 2 weeks after reconstruction), pain was the strongest contributor to self-report function (KOOS-SPORT: coefficient: 0.89; 95%-confidence-interval: 0.51 to 1.2 / KOOS-ADL: 1.1; 0.95 to 1.3). In the early phase (2-6 weeks after reconstruction), time since reconstruction [days] was the major contributor (KOOS-SPORT: 1.1; 0.14 to 2.1 / KOOS-ADL: 1.2; 0.43 to 2.0). Starting with the mid-phases of the rehabilitation, self-report function was no longer explicitly impacted by one or more contributors. The amount of rehabilitation [minutes] is affected by COVID-19-associated restrictions (pre-versus-post: - 672; - 1264 to - 80 for SPORT / - 633; - 1222 to - 45 for ADL) and by the pre-injury activity scale (280; 103 to 455 / 264; 90 to 438). Other hypothesised contributors such as sex/gender or age were not found to mediate the time or pain, rehabilitation dose and self-report function triangle. When self-report function is rated after an ACL reconstruction, the rehabilitation phases (early, mid, late), the potentially COVID-19-associated rehabilitation limitations, and pain intensity should also be considered. As, for example, pain is the strongest contributor to function in the early rehabilitation phase, focussing on the value of the self-report function only may, consequently, not be sufficient to rate bias-free function.

The prevalence of a prominent anterior inferior iliac spine.

INTRODUCTION: Impingement of the prominent anterior inferior iliac spine (AIIS) against the femoral neck has recently been described as another type of impingement. The purpose of this study is to provide a distribution of AIIS types using the classification proposed by Hetsroni and thus report on the prevalence of prominent types. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 400 patients were included in the study with an average age 27.3 ± 6.9 years (range 18-40). All patients received a whole-body polytrauma computer tomography (CT) scan in the emergency room (ER) upon arrival. The classification of AIIS proposed by Hetsroni et al., which describes three morphological types, was used. Type II and III were grouped as prominent types. The measurements were performed in all three planes by two examiners. RESULTS: Male to female ratio was 71:29. Type I was observed in 367 (91.7%) patients. Type II was observed in 31 (7.8%) patients and type III was observed in 2 (0.5%) patients, unilaterally. Prominent types were much more prevalent in men (10.5%) than in women (2.6%). The CT assessment demonstrated excellent intra- and interreliability (overall: 0.926, I/II: 0.906, III: 1.000). CONCLUSION: A young population demonstrates a prevalence of a prominent AIIS of 11.5%. Prominent AIIS is more common in men than in women.

Biomechanical and microbiological effects of local vancomycin in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction: a porcine tendon model.

INTRODUCTION: Although there is increasing evidence for the successful use of local vancomycin applied by soaked compresses during ACL reconstruction, there are still little data on its microbiological and biomechanical effects. Furthermore, exact dosage of vancomycin with respect to tendon stability and microbiological effectivity is still unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 63 porcine flexor digitorum profundus tendons were harvested under sterile conditions from fresh cadaver legs. After contamination with Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis), tendons were wrapped into sterile compresses moistened with different concentrations of vancomycin for 10 or 20 min. Sterile sodium chloride was used for control. After treatment, tendons were rolled onto blood-agar plates to test for residual bacterial contamination and tested for maximum load and stiffness using a uniaxial testing device with cryo-clamps for tendon fixation. Agar plates were checked after 1 week of culture at 36 °C for signs of bacterial growth. RESULTS: When applying vancomycin for only 10 min, bacterial contamination was found in all dosage groups ranging from 28.6% contamination (n = 2 of 7 tendons) when using 10 mg/ml up to 85.7% (n = 6 of 7 tendons) when using 1 mg/ml. Applying vancomycin-soaked compresses for 20 min, bacterial contamination was still found in the groups using 1 mg/ml and 2.5 mg/ml (contamination rate 85.7 and 42.9% respectively). When using 5 mg/ml and 10 mg/ml, no bacterial contamination could be perceived after 7 days of culture. With regard to biomechanical properties, no differences were found regarding maximum load or Young's modulus between groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed no signs of biomechanical impairment of porcine flexor tendons after the use of vancomycin wraps with concentration ranging from 1 to 10 mg/ml for 10 or 20 min at a time zero testing. Contamination with S. epidermidis was cleansed in 100% of tendons when using at least 5 mg/ml of vancomycin for 20 min.

Cell-free cartilage repair in large defects of the knee: increased failure rate 5 years after implantation of a collagen type I scaffold.

INTRODUCTION: Cartilage defects of the knee remain a challenging problem in orthopedic surgery despite the ongoing improvements in regenerative procedures such as the autologous chondrocyte transplantation. Due to the lack of donor-site morbidity and the single-stage procedure cell-free scaffolds are an interesting alternative to cell-based procedures. But as currently mid- and long-term data are lacking, the aim of the present study was to present mid-term clinical, radiological and histological results of a cell-free collagen type I scaffolds for cartilage repair. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients were followed prospectively. Clinical evaluation using patient-reported outcome measures (KOOS, IKDC; VAS for pain, Tegner score for activity) as well as radiologic evaluation of the repair tissue (MOCART) was performed at 1 year, 2 years and 5 years. Histologic evaluation of the repair tissue was done in case of revision surgery using the ICRS II score for human cartilage repair. RESULTS: In these large cartilage defects with a mean defect size of 3.7 ± 1.9 cm2, clinical failure necessitating revision surgery was seen in 5 of 28 patients (18%). While the remaining patients showed good-to-excellent clinical results (KOOS, IKDC, VAS, Tegner), the radiologic appearance of the repair tissue showed a reduction of the MOCART score between the 2- and 5-year follow-up. Histologic evaluation of the repair tissue showed a cartilage-like appearance with no signs of inflammation or cell death but an overall medium tissue quality according to the ICRS II Score. CONCLUSION: The use of this cell-free collagen type I scaffold for large defects showed increased wear of the repair tissue and clinical failure in 18% of cases at 5-year follow-up.

Femoral tunnel widening is associated with tunnel malposition but not with clinical failure after medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction with a free gracilis tendon graft.

INTRODUCTION: MPFL reconstruction is widely and successfully used for treating patella instability, either as a standalone procedure or in combination. Although different techniques allow for MPFL reconstruction, the use of a free tendon graft is one of the most commonly used. The phenomenon of tunnel widening or tunnel enlargement is well described in ACL reconstruction, but so far only little effort has been put into evaluating this phenomenon after MPFL reconstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who received an MPFL reconstruction with a free gracilis tendon graft were identified by review of patient files. Additional clinical examination and magnetic resonance imaging were performed to assess tunnel enlargement and clinical outcome. RESULTS: Fifty-one knees of 49 patients (34 female, 17 male) with a mean follow-up of 3.0 ± 1.4 years were included in this study. Mean age at the time of surgery was 22.6 ± 8.5 years. Mean Tegner score decreased from preoperative 5.3 ± 2.0 to 4.0 ± 1.4 postoperative. Postoperative IKDC and Kujala scores were 74 ± 16 and 80 ± 15, respectively. Twenty-three patients showed a tunnel enlargement at follow-up examination. Of these 23 patients, 20 showed a tunnel that was positioned too proximal, whereas only 13 of the 28 patients showing no enlargement had a tunnel that was positioned too proximal (p = 0.0033). Interestingly, patients showing a tunnel enlargement at follow-up examination also showed significantly better Kujala (84 ± 12 vs. 75 ± 16; p = 0.03) and IKDC scores (80 ± 7 vs. 70 ± 19; p = 0.02) when compared to the non-enlarged group. CONCLUSION: Tunnel enlargement after MPFL reconstruction with a free gracilis tendon graft seems to be connected to mechanical overload due to a proximal malposition of the femoral tunnel. Interestingly, this did not influence clinical outcome as patients with tunnel enlargement showed better Kujala and IKDC scores.

[A Novel Technique for the Preparation of a 3- or 5-Stranded Hamstring Graft for Individualised Single-Bundle ACL or PCL Reconstruction]. / Neuartige Technik zur Präparation eines 3- oder 5-strängigen Hamstring-Transplantats für die individualisierte Single-Bundle-VKB- oder -HKB-Rekonstruktion.

Objective Development of a preparation technique for hamstring tendons to ensure a maximum of intraoperative flexibility during individualised cruciate ligament surgery. Indications Primary ACL- and PCL-reconstruction as well as cases of later revision. Method Three- or five-stranded grafts can be obtained with the use of semitendinosus and gracilis tendons with fiber tape enforcement and use of a conventional femoral cortical suspensory fixation device. Fibre tape and knotting style ensure free motion of the continous loop. Through its simplicity, the technique offers the highest grade of intraoperative scalability.

Oxidized Zirconium Bearing Surfaces in Total Knee Arthroplasty: Lessons Learned.

Polyethylene wear in total knee arthroplasty is a still unsolved problem resulting in osteolysis and long-term failure of knee joint replacement. To address the problem of polyethylene wear, research aimed for an optimal implant design and for an optimal combination of bearing surfaces. Oxidized zirconium was introduced to minimize surface wear and thus potentially increase long-term implant survival. This review comprises the current literature related to in vitro and in vivo studies evaluating performance of oxidized zirconium total knee arthroplasty and results from retrieval analyses.

Prevalence and influence of tibial tunnel widening after isolated anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using patella-bone-tendon-bone-graft: long-term follow-up.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate incidence, degree and impact of tibial tunnel widening (TW) on patient-reported long-term clinical outcome, knee joint stability and prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA) after isolated anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. On average, 13.5 years after ACL reconstruction via patella-bone-tendon-bone autograft, 73 patients have been re-evaluated. Inclusion criteria consisted of an isolated anterior cruciate ligament rupture and reconstruction, a minimum of 10-year follow-up and no previous anterior cruciate ligament repair or associated intra-articular lesions. Clinical evaluation was performed via the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score and the Tegner and Lysholm scores. Instrumental anterior laxity testing was carried out with the KT-1000™ arthrometer. The degree of degenerative changes and the prevalence of osteoarthritis were assessed with the Kellgren-Lawrence score. Tibial tunnel enlargement was radiographically evaluated on both antero-posterior and lateral views under establishment of 4 degrees of tibial tunnel widening by measuring the actual tunnel diameters in mm on the sclerotic margins of the inserted tunnels on 3 different points (T1-T3). Afterwards, a conversion of the absolute values in mm into a 4 staged ratio, based on the comparison to the results of the initial drill-width, should provide a better quantification and statistical analysis. Evaluation was performed postoperatively as well as on 2 year follow-up and 13 years after ACL reconstruction. Minimum follow-up was 10 years. 75% of patients were graded A or B according to IKDC score. The mean Lysholm score was 90.2±4.8 (25-100). Radiological assessment on long-term follow-up showed in 45% a grade I, in 24% a grade II, in 17% a grade III and in additional 12% a grade IV enlargement of the tibial tunnel. No evident progression of TW was found in comparison to the 2 year results. Radiological evaluation revealed degenerative changes in sense of a grade II OA in 54% of patients. Prevalence of a grade III or grade IV OA was found in 20%. Correlation analysis showed no significant relationship between the amount of tibial tunnel enlargement (P>0.05), long-term clinical results, anterior joint laxity or prevalence of osteoarthritis. Tunnel widening remains a radiological phenomenon which is most commonly observed within the short to midterm intervals after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and subsequently stabilises on mid and long- term follow-up. It does not adversely affect long-term clinical outcome and stability. Furthermore, tunnel widening doesn't constitute an increasing prevalence of osteoarthritis.

Does probe frequency influence diagnostic accuracy in newborn hip ultrasound?

Ultrasonography of the hip has gained wide acceptance as reliable method for diagnosing developmental hip dysplasia in infants. This blinded study was conducted to investigate the influence of two linear probes with different frequency on diagnostic accuracy and reproducibility. In 206 consecutive newborns, the bony roof angle (α-angle) and cartilage roof angle (ß-angle) were assessed by three investigators according to Graf. The hips were measured twice both with a 7.5 MHz and a 12 MHz linear transducer (Sonoline G60S(®) ultrasound system; Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). Each investigator evaluated his sonograms 6 weeks later. Depending on the mean values for α-angle and ß-angle, the hips were classified. Reproducibility of the Graf classification was not found to be influenced. In two of three investigators, we observed significant improvement concerning variation of the ß-angle with the 12 MHz probe. The use of high-resolution transmitters may improve diagnostic accuracy in ultrasonography of the newborn's hip.