Presence of Bacteria in Spontaneous Achilles Tendon Ruptures.

BACKGROUND: The structural pathology of Achilles tendon (AT) ruptures resembles tendinopathy, but the causes remain unknown. Recently, a number of diseases were found to be attributed to bacterial infections, resulting in low-grade inflammation and progressive matrix disturbance. The authors speculate that spontaneous AT ruptures may also be influenced by the presence of bacteria. HYPOTHESIS: Bacteria are present in ruptured ATs but not in healthy tendons. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: Patients with spontaneous AT ruptures and patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction were recruited for this study. During AT surgical repair, excised tendinopathic tissue was collected, and healthy tendon samples were obtained as controls from hamstring tendon grafts used in ACL reconstruction. Half of every sample was reserved for DNA extraction and the other half for histology. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conducted using 16S rRNA gene universal primers, and the PCR products were sequenced for the identification of bacterial species. A histological examination was performed to compare tendinopathic changes in the case and control samples. RESULTS: Five of 20 AT rupture samples were positive for the presence of bacterial DNA, while none of the 23 hamstring tendon samples were positive. Sterile operating and experimental conditions and tests on samples, controlling for harvesting and processing procedures, ruled out the chance of postoperative bacterial contamination. The species identified predominantly belonged to the Staphylococcus genus. AT rupture samples exhibited histopathological features characteristic of tendinopathy, and most healthy hamstring tendon samples displayed normal tendon features. There were no apparent differences in histopathology between the bacterial DNA-positive and bacterial DNA-negative AT rupture samples. CONCLUSION: The authors have demonstrated the presence of bacterial DNA in ruptured AT samples. It may suggest the potential involvement of bacteria in spontaneous AT ruptures.

Predicting serious complications and high cost of treatment of tooth-knuckle injuries: a systematic literature review.

PURPOSE: The tooth-knuckle injury (TKI) is a serious and potentially costly injury seen in orthopaedic practice. The aim was to conduct a systematic literature review on the factors associated with serious complications and high treatment costs in tooth-knuckle injuries. METHODS: MEDLINE, Scopus and CINAHL were used as the literature sources. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Original research papers that reported on factors predicting serious complications and high treatment costs in TKIs were included. There were no restrictions placed on study size, language, study design or date of publication. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Case studies, case series and review articles were not included. RESULTS: After duplicates were removed, 403 unique studies remained; after titles and abstracts were screened, 48 titles remained and were retrieved in full text. Of these, 14 titles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the data synthesis. Tenosynovitis, septic arthritis, osteomyelitis and residual stiffness were common serious complications occurring in up to 36.3, 70.0, 47.6 and 65.3 % of cases, respectively. Amputation was also common in up to 18.0 % of injuries. Treatment costs were measured by length of hospital stay and the number of debridements required. On average, patients required 3.8-8 days of admission and 1.3-2.7 debridements each. CONCLUSION: Increased time delay from injury to treatment, deeply penetrating injuries, proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ) injuries and, possibly, E. corrodens infections were associated with serious complications in TKIs. Delayed treatment, inadequate treatment, PIPJ injuries and deeply penetrating injuries predicted higher treatment costs. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42016029949 ( http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.asp?ID=CRD42016029949 ).

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as a cause of a quadriceps tendon tear.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important causative agent in myositis and pyomyositis, but its involvement in quadriceps tendon tears has not been reported until now. In the case reported here, accurate diagnosis was delayed because of the unique presentation, and the infection was mismanaged with corticosteroids because of the presumptive diagnosis of an inflammatory pathology. Subsequently, aggressive surgical and antibiotic management produced a satisfactory outcome. Early detection and appropriate management of these infections are extremely important in preventing limb- and life-threatening consequences.

Spontaneous bacterial seeding of a biceps hematoma.

A 19-year-old male construction worker presented with an injury to his left upper arm after lifting a heavy pipe. He reported an acute onset of sharp pain followed by swelling, warmth, and weakness with elbow flexion. The diagnosis of a distal biceps tendon rupture was made and elective repair was scheduled. Seventy-two hours later, the patient presented with a spontaneous draining wound on his anterior distal humerus. The wound was draining thick purulent material. The patient underwent surgery for irrigation and debridement of his abscess. Nearly 500 cc of hematoma and purulent fluid were evacuated. A large tear of both the biceps and brachialis muscle bellies were found. Cultures were obtained that revealed the infecting organism to be Streptococcus intermedius. Human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis-C virus testing were negative, and no history, signs, or symptoms of any cause of underlying immunodeficiency were detected. No signs or history of drug use were present. He was discharged home on culture-specific oral antibiotics. At 4-month postoperative follow-up, the patient reported no pain or limitations. He has returned to full duty at his job. Elbow range of motion was measured from 7° to 150° of flexion. Strength of elbow flexion and extension was symmetric to the uninjured side. Pronation and supination of the forearm was symmetric on both sides. He has been released from scheduled follow-up and will be seen again on an as-needed basis.

Open infected Achilles tendon injury--reconstruction of tendon with fascia lata graft and soft tissue cover with a reverse flow sural flap.

We present a patient with an open, infected Achilles tendon injury with a soft tissue defect of 12 cm x 5 cm and a tendon defect of 10 cm. He underwent a two-stage procedure. A first stage debridement of tendon and soft tissue was followed by a second stage tendo Achilles reconstruction using fascia lata graft and soft tissue cover with a reverse flow sural flap. He had a good functional outcome with minimal donor site morbidity.

Adhesive bacterial colonization of exposed traumatized tendon.

Recent studies of compromised or damaged tissues, as well as biomaterials, have shown that they provide a particularly fertile substratum for bacterial colonization. Colonization in these environments is mediated by a process of microbial adhesion to surfaces of the substrata. In this report, we present electron microscopic studies of a portion of damaged and infected tendon. These studies demonstrate colonies of bacteria surrounded by a ruthenium red-staining exopolysaccharide biofilm and adhesion to the surface of the tendon by means of an exopolysaccharide polymer. We suggest that this adhesive form of bacterial colonization may partially explain the resistance of exposed tendon to effective debridement by simple mechanical measures and to coverage with granulation tissue, partial-thickness skin grafts, and vascularized tissue grafts.