Lack of radiosensitivity predicts poor disease specific survival in myxoid liposarcoma.

BACKGROUND: Compared to other sarcomas, myxoid liposarcoma (ML) is known to be radiosensitive, with improved oncologic outcomes. Although these tumors "shrink" following radiotherapy, there is a paucity of data examining the degree of radiosensitivity and oncologic outcome. The purpose of the study was to evaluate pre- and postradiotherapy tumor volume to determine if size reduction impacts outcome. METHODS: We reviewed 62 patients with ML undergoing surgical resection combined with preoperative radiotherapy, with pre- and postradiotherapy MRI. This included 34 (55%) males, with a mean age of 47 ± 14 years. All tumors were deep to the fascia, and 12 (19%) patients had tumors with a >5% round-cell component. RESULTS: The mean volume reduction was 54% ± 29%. Compared to patients with >25% volume reduction, patients with reduction ≤25% had worse 10-year disease specific survival (86% vs. 37%, p < 0.01), in addition to an increased risk of metastatic disease (HR 4.63, p < 0.01) and death due to disease (HR 4.52, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Lack of volume reduction is a risk factor for metastatic disease and subsequent death due to disease in patients with extremity ML treated with combined preoperative radiotherapy and surgery. This data could be used to stratify patients for adjuvant therapies and follow-up intervals.

Pubic Symphysis to Sacrococcygeal Joint: A Poor Correlate to Other Spinopelvic Measurements.

BACKGROUND: The hip-spine relationship is increasingly recognized as critical for optimizing stability following total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, these measurements are not routinely obtained during THA workup. It has been suggested that insight can be gained from supine antero-posterior pelvis radiograph, measuring the distance from the superior border of the pubic symphysis to the sacro-coccygeal joint (PSCD). This study assessed the correlation between PSCD and lateral lumbar radiographic metrics in a cohort of preoperative THA patients. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 250 consecutive patients who underwent THA with preoperative supine antero-posterior pelvis and lateral lumbar radiographs. The mean age was 68 years (range, 42 to 89), 61% were women, and the mean body mass index was 30 kg/m2 (range, 19 to 52). Two reviewers measured PSCD, pelvic tilt (PT), sacral slope (SS), pelvic incidence (PI), and lumbar lordosis (LL). Inter-observer reliability was calculated for all measurements, and correlation coefficients were calculated for PSCD with respect to PT, SS, PI, and LL. RESULTS: Correlations between PSCD and lumbar radiographic metrics were all statistically significant, except for PI in men but graded as "weak" or "very weak" for men and women, respectively, as follows: PT = -0.30 (P < .01) and -0.46 (P < .01); SS = 0.27 (P < .01) and 0.22 (P < .01); PI = -0.04 (P = .70) and -0.19 (P = .02); and LL = 0.45 (P < .01) and 0.30 (P < .01). Inter-observer reliability was graded as "strong" for every metric. CONCLUSION: The PSCD was weakly correlated with all evaluated lateral lumbar radiographic metrics in both sexes, despite strong inter-observer reliability. Therefore, PSCD cannot reliably serve as a proxy for evaluating the hip-spine relationship.

Adductor Canal Versus Femoral Nerve Block after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review of Level I Randomized Controlled Trials Comparing Early Postoperative Pain, Opioid Requirements, and Quadriceps Strength.

PURPOSE: To systematically review the literature to compare the adductor canal block (ACB) with the femoral nerve block (FNB) following primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) in terms of early postoperative analgesic requirements and postoperative quadriceps strength. METHODS: A systematic review was performed by searching PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Embase up to August 2019 to identify randomized controlled trials that compared postoperative pain and functional outcomes in patients following primary ACLR with ACB versus FNB. The search phrase used was: adductor canal femoral nerve anterior cruciate ligament. Patients were evaluated based on analgesic consumption and quadriceps muscle strength. Study quality and risk of bias were evaluated with the Modified Coleman Methodology Score and Cochrane risk-of-bias tool respectively. RESULTS: Five studies (all Level I evidence) were identified that met inclusion criteria, including 221 patients undergoing primary ACLR with ACB (mean age 26.8 years, 68.3% male) and 221 with FNB (mean age 28.2 years, 67.0% male). Statistical assessment for heterogeneity found for opioid consumption of ACB versus FNB groups was I2 = 97% (P < .0001). There were no significant differences in analgesic consumption within the first 24 hours following surgery between groups except in 1 study, in which patients receiving ACB required significantly greater analgesics (P < .001). Three studies using 3 different techniques to measure strength found patients receiving ACB to have significantly greater quadriceps muscle function within 24 hours of surgery when compared with patients receiving FNB (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing ACLR, the ACB may provide similar analgesic requirements, and the included studies suggest a potential advantage in preserving muscle strength at short-term (24-48 hours) follow-up when compared with FNB. However, the differences in muscle strength assessments between studies do not allow for strong conclusions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: I, systematic review and meta-analysis of Level I studies.

Outcomes of Vascularized Bone Allotransplantation with Surgically Induced Autogenous Angiogenesis in a Large Animal Model: Bone Healing, Remodeling, and Material Properties.

BACKGROUND: Bone vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) is a possible alternative for the treatment of large bone defects. Clinical application of VCAs is limited by the need for life-long immunosuppression (IS). We report an alternative method to maintain bone allotransplant viability in a large animal model without the need for life-long IS by using autogenous vessel implantation. METHODS: Fourteen bone only VCAs were transplanted in a porcine tibia defect model with short-term IS. Two groups were used to evaluate the effect of the implantation of an autogenous arteriovenous (AV)-bundle, therefore the only difference between the groups was the patency of the AV-bundle. We radiographically evaluated bone healing and allogenic pedicle patency. AV-bundle patency and union were evaluated with micro-CT. Bone remodeling was assessed with histomorphometry and material properties were evaluated with axial compression testing and cyclic reference point indentation. RESULTS: Two subjects did not reach the final time point. Twelve tibiae healed proximally, and nine at the distal transplant-bone interface. Bone allotransplants showed their viability in the first 4 to 6 weeks by significant periosteal bridging arising from the transplant and maintained pedicle patency. Bone material properties were not affected by the implantation of an AV-bundle when compared with ligated AV-bundle controls, but diminished compared with normal bone. Significantly higher bone formation rates resulted from the implantation of a patent AV-bundle. CONCLUSION: New periosteal bone formation and subsequent bone healing result from blood flow through the microsurgically repaired nutrient blood supply, demonstrated by maintained allogenic pedicle patency. The implantation of a patent autogenous AV-bundle has no adverse effect on material properties, but a positive effect on bone remodeling of endosteal surfaces despite thrombosis of the allogenic pedicle. Bone material properties change after transplantation compared with normal bone, although 20-weeks survival time is relatively short for the final evaluation of bone material properties.

Surveillance Systems to Track Progress Toward Polio Eradication - Worldwide, 2015-2016.

Global measures to eradicate polio began in 1988; as of 2014, four of six World Health Organization (WHO) regions have been certified polio-free. Within the two endemic regions (African and Eastern Mediterranean), Nigeria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan have never interrupted transmission of wild poliovirus (WPV) (1). The primary means of detecting poliovirus transmission is surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) among children aged <15 years, combined with collection and testing of stool specimens from persons with AFP for detection of WPV and vaccine-derived polioviruses (VDPVs) (viruses that differ genetically from vaccine viruses and can emerge in areas with low vaccination coverage and cause paralysis) in WHO-accredited laboratories within the Global Polio Laboratory Network (2,3). AFP surveillance is supplemented by environmental surveillance for polioviruses in sewage from selected locations (4). Genomic sequencing of the VP1-coding region of isolated polioviruses enables mapping transmission by time and place, assessment of potential gaps in surveillance, and identification of the emergence of VDPVs. This report presents poliovirus surveillance data from 2015 and 2016, with particular focus on 20 countries in the African Region and six in the Eastern Mediterranean Region that reported WPV or circulating VDPVs (cVDPVs) during 2011-2016, as well as the three countries most affected by the 2014-2015 Ebola virus disease (Ebola) outbreak (Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone). During 2016, 12 (60%) of the 20 African Region countries and all six of the Eastern Mediterranean Region countries met both surveillance quality indicators (nonpolio AFP rates of ≥2 per 100,000 persons aged <15 years per year and ≥80% of AFP cases with adequate stool specimens [stool adequacy]) at the national level; however, provincial-level variation was seen. To complete and certify polio eradication, surveillance gaps must be identified and surveillance activities, including supervision, monitoring, and specimen collection and handling, further strengthened.

Comparison of clinical and laboratory characteristics during two major paediatric meningitis outbreaks of echovirus 30 and other non-polio enteroviruses in Germany in 2008 and 2013.

Viral meningitis is mainly caused by non-polio enteroviruses (NPEV). Large-scale data on the clinical characteristics between different outbreaks within the same region are lacking. This study aimed to analyse a possible influence of the circulating NPEV genotype on the disease outcome of affected children. A retrospective cohort study analysing two major outbreaks of NPEV meningitis in Germany in 2008 and 2013 was conducted in cooperation with the National Reference Centre for Poliomyelitis and Enteroviruses (NRC PE) and five German children's hospitals. A total of 196 patients with laboratory-confirmed NPEV meningitis were enrolled. In 2008, children with NPEV meningitis had significantly higher fever and showed more behavioural changes and less back pain. To better define typical findings in echovirus 30 (E-30) meningitis, patients were split into the following three groups: E-30 positive patients, patients with "Non E-30" infection and patients with "Untyped" NPEV infection. E-30 positive patients were significantly older and their disease course was more acute, with early admission to but also early discharge from hospital. E-30 positive patients showed a significantly higher rate of headache and meningism, and a lower rate of diarrhoea and clinically defined septicaemia when compared to the others. Regarding laboratory testing, E-30 positive patients presented with significantly elevated peripheral blood neutrophil counts when compared to patients with "Non E-30" or "Untyped" NPEV infection. In conclusion, E-30 meningitis in children shows a characteristic pattern of clinical features. To further characterise NPEV strains worldwide, continuous surveillance and typing of NPEV strains causing central nervous system disease is warranted.

Surveillance Systems to Track Progress Toward Polio Eradication--Worldwide, 2014-2015.

Global efforts to eradicate polio began in 1988, and polio-free certification has been achieved in four of the six World Health Organization (WHO) regions. Nigeria was removed from WHO's list of countries with endemic polio in September 2015, achieving an important milestone toward interruption of wild poliovirus (WPV) transmission in the African Region (1). Afghanistan and Pakistan, both in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, were the only countries to report WPV cases in 2015. Previously reported outbreaks caused by WPV importation during 2013-2014 have ended (2,3). The primary means for detecting poliovirus transmission is surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) among children aged <15 years (4,5). Stool specimens collected from children with AFP are tested for both WPV and vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) in WHO-accredited laboratories within the Global Polio Laboratory Network (GPLN). In selected locations, AFP surveillance is supplemented with environmental surveillance (testing sewage for poliovirus) (6). Testing of stool and sewage samples includes genomic sequencing to characterize poliovirus isolates; results are used to map poliovirus transmission and identify gaps in AFP surveillance. This report presents poliovirus surveillance data from 2014 and 2015, focusing on the 20 countries in the African Region and six in the Eastern Mediterranean Region that reported a WPV or circulating VDPV (cVDPV) case during 2011-2015, including Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, which were most affected by the 2014-2015 Ebola virus disease (Ebola) outbreak.

Progress Toward Poliomyelitis Eradication - Pakistan, January 2015-September 2016.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria remain the only countries where endemic wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) transmission continues. This report describes the activities, challenges, and progress toward polio eradication in Pakistan during January 2015-September 2016 and updates previous reports (1,2). In 2015, a total of 54 WPV1 cases were reported in Pakistan, an 82% decrease from 2014. In 2016, 15 WPV1 cases had been reported as of November 1, representing a 61% decrease compared with the 38 cases reported during the same period in 2015 (Figure 1). Among the 15 WPV1 cases reported in 2016, children aged <36 months accounted for 13 cases; four of those children had received only a single dose of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV). Seven of the 15 WPV1 cases occurred in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), five in Sindh, two in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), and one in Balochistan (3). During January-September 2016, WPV1 was detected in 9% (36 of 384) of environmental samples collected, compared with 19% (69 of 354) of samples collected during the same period in 2015. Rigorous implementation of the 2015-2016 National Emergency Action Plan (NEAP) (4), coordinated by the National Emergency Operations Center (EOC), has resulted in a substantial decrease in overall WPV1 circulation compared with the previous year. However, detection of WPV1 cases in high-risk areas and the detection of WPV1 in environmental samples from geographic areas where no polio cases are identified highlight the need to continue to improve the quality of supplemental immunization activities (SIAs),* immunization campaigns focused on vaccinating children with OPV outside of routine immunization services, and surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP). Continuation and refinement of successful program strategies, as outlined in the new 2016-2017 NEAP (5), with particular focus on identifying children missed by vaccination, community-based vaccination, and rapid response to virus identification are needed to stop WPV transmission.

[Reconstruction of the Bile Duct with the Umbilical Vein after Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy]. / Gallengangsrekonstruktion mittels Umbilikalvene nach laparoskopischer Cholezystektomie.

Background: Roux-Y hepaticojejunostomy is currently the standard surgical procedure for the reconstruction of the bile duct after iatrogenic transection in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. However, about 30 % of all hepaticojejunostomies develop a stenosis after some time and in 7 % a cholangiocellular carcinoma occurs. Therefore, alternative procedures have been investigated. Patients: Between September 2009 and October 2013 an iatrogenic bile duct lesion was treated in 6 consecutive patients by using the pedicled umbilical vein. The median follow-up period was 16 months. Methods: In 3 cases, the bile duct lesion was detected during cholecystectomy and reconstructed in the same session. In the other 3 cases, the reconstruction was performed between the fourth and the seventh day after cholecystectomy. The pedicled umbilical vein was used as a patch in 4 cases and as an interposition graft in the other 2 cases. Results: Two out of 6 patients suffered from cholangitis after bile duct reconstruction, which was brought to complete remission by temporary endoscopic dilatation treatment. Conclusion: The use of the pedicled umbilical vein is a new surgical option for the treatment of iatrogenic bile duct lesions and seems to provide advantages over hepaticojejunostomy regarding the development and treatment of anastomotic stenosis and the risk of cholangiocellular carcinoma.

World Health Organization Guidelines for Containment of Poliovirus Following Type-Specific Polio Eradication - Worldwide, 2015.

In 1988, the World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) resolved to eradicate polio worldwide. Among the three wild poliovirus (WPV) types (type 1, type 2, and type 3), WPV type 2 (WPV2) has been eliminated in the wild since 1999, and WPV type 3 (WPV3) has not been reported since 2012. In 2015, only Afghanistan and Pakistan have reported WPV transmission. On May 25, 2015, all WHO Member States endorsed World Health Assembly resolution 68.3 on full implementation of the Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan 2013-2018 (the Endgame Plan), and with it, the third Global Action Plan to minimize poliovirus facility-associated risk (GAPIII). All WHO Member States have committed to implementing appropriate containment of WPV2 in essential laboratory and vaccine production facilities* by the end of 2015 and of type 2 oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV2) within 3 months of global withdrawal of OPV2, which is planned for April 2016. This report summarizes critical steps for essential laboratory and vaccine production facilities that intend to retain materials confirmed to contain or potentially containing type-specific WPV, vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV), or OPV/Sabin viruses, and steps for nonessential facilities† that process specimens that contain or might contain polioviruses. National authorities will need to certify that the essential facilities they host meet the containment requirements described in GAPIII. After certification of WPV eradication, the use of all OPV will cease; final containment of all polioviruses after polio eradication and OPV cessation will minimize the risk for reintroduction of poliovirus into a polio-free world.

Progress Toward Poliomyelitis Eradication--Pakistan, January 2014-September 2015.

Since Nigeria reported its last case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in July 2014, Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries where WPV transmission has never been interrupted. This report describes actions taken and progress achieved toward polio eradication in Pakistan during January 2014-September 2015 and updates previous reports. A total of 38 WPV1 cases were reported in Pakistan during January-September 2015, compared with 243 during the same period in 2014 (an 84% decline). Among WPV1 cases reported in 2015, 32 (84%) occurred in children aged <36 months, nine (32%) of whom had never received oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV). Twenty-six (68%) of the 38 reported cases occurred in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Province. During January-September 2015, WPV1 was detected in 20% (64 of 325) of environmental samples collected, compared with 34% (98 of 294) of samples collected during the same period in 2014. The quality and scope of polio eradication activities improved considerably following the establishment of a national Emergency Operations Center, which coordinated polio eradication partners' activities. All activities are following a National Polio Eradication Emergency Action Plan that includes a rigorous action plan for the polio low transmission season (January-April). The presence of WPV1 in environmental samples in areas where no polio cases are detected highlights the need to improve surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP). Focused efforts to close remaining immunity gaps by locating, tracking, and vaccinating continually missed children and improving coverage with OPV through the routine vaccination program are needed to stop WPV transmission in Pakistan.

Tracking progress toward polio eradication - worldwide, 2013-2014.

Global efforts to eradicate polio began in 1988 and have been successful in all but two of the six World Health Organization (WHO) regions. Within these two regions (African and Eastern Mediterranean), three countries (Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan) have never interrupted transmission of wild poliovirus (WPV). Outbreaks following importation of WPV from these countries occurred in the Horn of Africa, Central Africa, and in the Middle East during 2013-2014. The primary means of tracking polio is surveillance for cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), the main symptom of polio, followed by testing of AFP patients' stool specimens for both WPV and vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) in WHO-accredited laboratories within the Global Polio Laboratory Network (GPLN). This is supplemented with environmental surveillance (testing sewage for WPV and VDPV) (4). Both types of surveillance use genomic sequencing for characterization of poliovirus isolates to map poliovirus transmission and for identifying gaps in AFP surveillance by measuring genetic divergence between isolates. This report presents 2013 and 2014 poliovirus surveillance data, focusing primarily on the two WHO regions with endemic WPV transmission, and the 29 countries (African Region = 23; Eastern Mediterranean Region = six) with at least one case of WPV or circulating VDPV (cVDPV) reported during 2010-2014. In 2013, 20 of these 23 African region countries met both primary surveillance quality indicators; in 2014, the number decreased to 15. In 2013, five of the six Eastern Mediterranean Region countries met the primary indicators, and in 2014, all six did. To complete and certify polio eradication, surveillance gaps must be identified and surveillance activities, including supervision, monitoring, and specimen collection, further strengthened.

Progress toward global interruption of wild poliovirus transmission, 2010-2013, and tackling the challenges to complete eradication.

Despite substantial progress, global polio eradication has remained elusive. Indigenous wild poliovirus (WPV) transmission in 4 endemic countries (Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan) persisted into 2010 and outbreaks from imported WPV continued. By 2013, most outbreaks in the interim were promptly controlled. The number of polio-affected districts globally has declined by 74% (from 481 in 2009 to 126 in 2013), including a 79% decrease in the number of affected districts in endemic countries (from 304 to 63). India is now polio-free. The challenges to success in the remaining polio-endemic countries include (1) threats to the security of vaccinators in each country and a ban on polio vaccination in areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan; (2) a risk of decreased government commitment; and (3) remaining surveillance gaps. Coordinated efforts under the International Health Regulations and efforts to mitigate the challenges provide a clear opportunity to soon secure global eradication.

Progress toward poliomyelitis eradication--Afghanistan and Pakistan, January 2013-August 2014.

In 2012, the World Health Assembly declared the completion of polio eradication a programmatic emergency for global public health and called for a comprehensive polio endgame strategy. Afghanistan and Pakistan are two of the three remaining countries (the other is Nigeria) where circulation of indigenous wild poliovirus (WPV) has never been interrupted. This report updates previous reports and describes polio eradication activities and progress in Afghanistan and Pakistan during January 2013-August 2014. In Afghanistan, 14 WPV cases were reported in 2013, compared with 37 cases in 2012; nine cases were reported during January-August 2014, compared with six cases during the same period in 2013. In Pakistan, 93 WPV cases were reported in 2013, compared with 58 cases in 2012; 170 cases were reported during January-August 2014, compared with 33 cases during the same period in 2013. All WPV cases reported during January 2013-August 2014 were WPV type 1 (WPV1). Vaccination campaigns have been banned since June 2012 in specific areas in Pakistan, where an estimated 300,000 children aged <5 years reside and where 69% of WPV cases have occurred in 2014. To accomplish the objectives of the Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan for 2013-2018 both countries should continue to negotiate access of vaccinators to insecure and temporarily inaccessible areas, improve immunization program performance to reach more children in accessible areas, and ensure that political and health leaders at all levels are fully committed to the program, including being committed to providing financial resources needed to fully implement all the recommendations of external technical advisory groups. Both countries should also continue to strengthen cross-border collaboration to improve surveillance and case detection, coordinate outbreak response, and maximize vaccination coverage of children moving between the two countries.

Polio-free certification and lessons learned--South-East Asia region, March 2014.

In 1988, the World Health Assembly resolved to interrupt wild poliovirus (WPV) transmission worldwide. By 2006, the annual number of WPV cases had decreased by more than 99%, and only four remaining countries had never interrupted WPV transmission: Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan. The last confirmed WPV case in India occurred in January 2011, leading the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Regional Commission for the Certification of Polio Eradication (SEA-RCC) in March 2014 to declare the 11-country South-East Asia Region (SEAR), which includes India, to be free from circulating indigenous WPV. SEAR became the fourth region among WHO's six regions to be certified as having interrupted all indigenous WPV circulation; the Region of the Americas was declared polio-free in 1994, the Western Pacific Region in 2000, and the European Region in 2002. Approximately 80% of the world's population now lives in countries of WHO regions that have been certified polio-free. This report summarizes steps taken to certify polio eradication in SEAR and outlines eradication activities and lessons learned in India, the largest member state in the region and the one for which eradication was the most difficult.

Echinococcus cysts affecting oromaxillofacial structures--a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: Cystic echinococcosis is a worldwide spread zoonosis and humans become accidental intermediate hosts. Any tissue can be affected. However, oromaxillofacial cystic echinococcosis is very uncommon and has never been studied systematically and no evidence-based treatment recommendations are available. Aim of this paper is to summarize the current knowledge and clinical experience with oromaxillofacial manifestations of cystic echinococcosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed database was accessed with a comprehensive, complex search strategy. Medical Subject Headings terms, wildcard search, truncated search terms and Boolean operators were used. No filters to restrict the results were set. Two evaluators jointly assessed the results in terms of defined criteria. RESULTS: The search strategy retrieved 538 results in total. After evaluation 83 publications presenting 108 cases on oromaxillofacial cystic echinococcosis were included. Parotid gland, mandibular region and maxillary region were most commonly affected. Median patient age was 22 years (range 2.5 months to 81 years). Surgical treatment was performed in 97 cases. CONCLUSIONS: In cases of oromaxillofacial cystic echinococcosis a thorough evaluation of the patients for further cysts is essential. Therapeutic treatment options are surgical or minimally invasive intervention and drug treatment with benzimidazoles. The diagnosis can be difficult and often require a multidisciplinary approach.

Autograft Demonstrates Superior Outcomes for Revision Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction When Compared With Allograft: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Multiple studies have compared outcomes among patients undergoing revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) with autograft versus allograft, but these data are inconsistently reported and long-term outcomes depending on graft type are yet to be determined. PURPOSE: To perform a systematic review of clinical outcomes after revision ACLR (rACLR) with autograft versus allograft. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed by searching PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Embase to identify studies that compared the outcomes of patients undergoing rACLR with autograft versus allograft. The search phrase used was autograft allograft revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Graft rerupture rates, return-to-sports rates, anteroposterior laxity, and patient-reported outcome scores (subjective International Knee Documentation Committee, Tegner, Lysholm, and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score) were evaluated. RESULTS: Eleven studies met inclusion criteria, including 3011 patients undergoing rACLR with autograft (mean age, 28.9 years) and 1238 patients undergoing rACLR with allograft (mean age, 28.0 years). Mean follow-up was 57.3 months. The most common autograft and allograft types were bone-patellar tendon-bone grafts. Overall, 6.2% of patients undergoing rACLR experienced graft retear, including 4.7% in the autograft group and 10.2% in the allograft group (P < .0001). Among studies that reported return-to-sports rates, 66.2% of patients with an autograft returned to sports as opposed to 45.3% of patients with an allograft (P = .01). Two studies found significantly greater postoperative knee laxity in the allograft group as compared with the autograft group (P < .05). Among all patient-reported outcomes, 1 study found 1 significant difference between groups: patients with an autograft had a significantly higher postoperative Lysholm score when compared with patients with an allograft. CONCLUSION: Patients undergoing revision ACLR with an autograft can be expected to experience lower rates of graft retear, higher rates of return to sports, and less postoperative anteroposterior knee laxity when compared with patients undergoing revision ACLR with an allograft.

Surgical Stabilization for Recurrent Patellar Instability in Competitive Wrestlers: Outcomes, Reoperations, and Return to Play at 6-Year Mean Follow-up.

BACKGROUND: The extent to which recurrent patellar instability (RPI) affects wrestlers has not been thoroughly examined. PURPOSE: To assess return to wrestling (RTW), patient-reported outcomes, and reoperation rates after patellofemoral stabilization surgery (PFSS) for RPI in a cohort of competitive wrestlers. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: All competitive wrestlers with a history of RPI and subsequent PFSS performed at a single institution between 2000 and 2020 were identified. Primary PFSS procedures included medial patellofemoral (MPFL) reconstruction (n = 31; 50%); MPFL repair (n = 22; 35.5%); or other PFSS (n = 9; 14.5%), such as tibial tubercle osteotomy, lateral retinacular release, and/or medial retinacular reefing. Exclusion criteria included revision PFSS or concomitant anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction or multiligament knee injury. Surgical failure was defined as subsequent patellar dislocation despite operative management or need for secondary PFSS. RESULTS: Ultimately, 62 knees in 56 wrestlers with a mean age of 17.0 years (range, 14.0-22.8 years) were included at a mean follow-up of 6.6 years (range, 2.0-18.8 years). RTW occurred in 55.3% of wrestlers at a mean ± SD 8.8 ± 6.7 months. Among PFSS types, no differences were observed in rates of RTW (P = .676), postoperative pain (P = .176), Tegner activity level (P = .801), International Knee Documentation Committee (P = .378), Lysholm (P = .402), or Kujala scores (P = .370). RPI was the most common postoperative complication (n = 13; 21.0%). MPFL reconstruction had the lowest rate of RPI (6.5% vs 27.3% [repair] vs 55.6% [other]; P = .005) and surgical failure (9.7% vs 31.8% [repair] vs 55.6% [other]; P = .008). Kaplan-Meier survivorship free from surgical failure of the entire cohort was 91.9% at 1 year, 77.7% at 5 years, and 65.7% at 15 years. MPFL reconstruction had the highest survivorship when compared with MPFL repair and other PFSS up to 10 years after the index surgery (90.3% vs 64.1% vs 27.8%; P = .048). CONCLUSION: RPI remains a concern for competitive wrestlers after PFSS. MPFL reconstruction may serve as a more durable surgical treatment option with lower rates of RPI and failure when compared with other PFSS procedures at up to 10 years after surgery.

The Effect of Amniotic Tissue on Spinal Interventions: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Amniotic membrane tissue has been thought to potentiate healing in many soft tissue conditions. Specifically, recent studies have shown its therapeutic potential for treatment in the setting of spinal pathologies. The purpose of this study is to thoroughly review the existing scientific literature and evidence concerning the clinical use of amniotic membrane-derived biologic agents on postoperative outcomes following spinal surgery. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted following preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines using PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases up to December 2020 to identify animal and clinical studies examining the therapeutic potential for amniotic membrane tissue in the setting of spinal pathologies (including disc herniation, prevention of epidural fibrosis, and spinal fusion). Studies were broken down into 2 categories: experimental model type and the type of amnion product being analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 12 studies (4 clinical studies and 8 studies utilizing animal models) met inclusion criteria. Additionally, the major types of amnion product were divided into cryopreserved/freeze-dried amniotic membrane, human amniotic fluid, human amniotic membrane, cross-linked amniotic membrane, and amnion-derived epithelial cells. While heterogeneity of study design precludes definitive specific results reporting, most studies showed positive benefits on healing/outcomes with amniotic augmentation. Specifically, amnion products have shown promising effects in reducing epidural adhesions and scar tissue after spine surgery, improving spinal fusion rate and postoperative pain scores, and promoting better functional outcomes after spine surgery. CONCLUSIONS: A review of the limited number of reported studies revealed a wide variety of amniotic membrane preparations, treatment regimens, and indications, which limit definitive conclusions. To date, while there is no definitive clinical proof that amniotic tissues enhance tissue repair or regeneration, the aggregate results demonstrate promising basic science and outcomes potential in spinal surgery. Further study is warranted to determine whether this application is appropriate in the clinical setting. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This systematic review provides a summary of the existing literature regarding the use of amniotic membrane preparations, treatment regimens, and indications within spinal surgery. With the growing popularity and utilization of biologic agents such as amniotic membrane-derived products in orthopedic and neurologic surgery, this systematic review gives physicians a concise summary on the outcomes and indications associated with amniotic membrane products.

Standard diagnostic laparoscopy is superior to NOTES approaches: results of a blinded, randomized controlled porcine study.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIM: The use of transluminal endoscopic access via the stomach or colon for flexible diagnostic peritoneoscopy has been proposed, although the diagnostic value of the technique has not yet been fully clarified. In this animal trial, the two main natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) approaches - transgastric (TG) and transcolonic (TC) - were compared with standard transabdominal access using both rigid (TAR) and flexible instruments (TAF) for diagnostic laparoscopy. METHODS: A total of 48 peritoneoscopies were performed using two randomly assigned approaches in 24 anesthetized pigs. The ability of the examinations to detect 576 electrocautery markings simulating intraperitoneal metastases, to achieve complete organ visualization, and to simulate organ biopsies was analyzed. RESULTS: Sensitivities for the detection of lesions were 78.5 %, 59.7 %, 48.6 %, and 38.9 % for TAR, TAF, TC, and TG, respectively; standard laparoscopy was superior to all other approaches (P < 0.01). Among the NOTES approaches, TC was superior for examining the upper abdomen (P = 0.03). Complete organ visualization was better with the transabdominal approach (visual analogue scale TAR 7.15, TAF 6.71) than with the NOTES access routes (TC 5.07, TG 4.35); standard rigid laparoscopy was superior to both NOTES approaches (P < 0.01). Organ biopsy simulation was possible in 87 %, 85 %, 72 %, and 65 % of cases with TAR, TAF, TC, and TG, respectively. Standard rigid laparoscopy was again superior to both NOTES approaches (TAR vs. TC, P = 0.03; TAR vs. TG, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In this experimental trial, rigid standard laparoscopy provided better organ visualization, better lesion detection, and better biopsy capability than the transgastric and transcolonic NOTES approaches. In its current form, NOTES appears to be unsuitable for diagnostic laparoscopy.