Unilateral aplasia of both cruciate ligaments

Aplasia of both cruciate ligaments is a rare congenital disorder. A 28-year-old male presented with pain and the feeling of instability of his right knee after trauma. The provided MRI and previous arthroscopy reports did not indicate any abnormalities except cruciate ligament tears. He was referred to us for reconstruction of both cruciate ligaments. The patient again underwent arthroscopy which revealed a hypoplasia of the medial trochlea and an extremely narrow intercondylar notch. The tibia revealed a missing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) footprint and a single bump with a complete coverage with articular cartilage. There was no room for an ACL graft. A posterior cruciate ligament could not be identified. The procedure was ended since a ligament reconstruction did not appear reasonable. A significant notch plasty if not a partial resection of the condyles would have been necessary to implant a ligament graft. It is most likely that this would not lead to good knee stability. If the surgeon would have retrieved the contralateral hamstrings at the beginning of the planned ligament reconstruction a significant damage would have occurred to the patient. Even in seemingly clear diagnostic findings the arthroscopic surgeon should take this rare abdnormality into consideration and be familiar with the respective radiological findings. We refer the abnormal finding of only one tibial spine to as the "dromedar-sign" as opposed to the two (medial and a lateral) tibial spines in a normal knee. This may be used as a hint for aplasia of the cruciate ligaments

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with quadriceps tendon autograft and press-fit fixation using an anteromedial portal technique

Abstract Background This article describes an arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction technique with a quadriceps tendon autograft using an anteromedial portal technique. Methods A 5 cm quadriceps tendon graft is harvested with an adjacent 2 cm bone block. The femoral tunnel is created through a low anteromedial portal in its anatomical position. The tibial tunnel is created with a hollow burr, thus acquiring a free cylindrical bone block. The graft is then passed through the tibial tunnel and the bone block, customized at its tip, is tapped into the femoral tunnel through the anteromedial portal to provide press-fit fixation. The graft is tensioned distally and sutures are tied over a bone bridge at the distal end of the tibial tunnel. From the cylindrical bone block harvested from the tibia the proximal end is customized and gently tapped next to the graft tissue into the tibial tunnel to assure press fitting of the graft in the tibial tunnel. The distal part of the tibial tunnel is filled up with the remaining bone. All patients were observed in a prospective fashion with subjective and objective evaluation after 6 weeks, 6 and 12 months. Results Thirty patients have been evaluated at a 12 months follow-up. The technique achieved in 96.7% normal or nearly normal results for the objective IKDC. The mean subjective IKDC score was 86.1 ± 15.8. In 96.7% the Tegner score was the same as before injury or decreased one category. A negative or 1+ Lachman test was achieved in all cases. Pivot-shift test was negative or (+) glide in 86.7%. The mean side-to-side difference elevated by instrumental laxity measurement was 1.6 ± 1.1 mm. Full ROM has been achieved in 92.3%. The mean single one-leg-hop index was 91.9 ± 8.0 at the follow-up. Conclusions Potential advantages include minimum bone loss specifically on the femoral side and graft fixation without implants.</p

Knee mechanics during landing in anterior cruciate ligament patients: A longitudinal study from pre- to 12 months post-reconstruction

Background: Patients with a history of anterior cruciate ligament rupture are at elevated risk of developing knee osteoarthritis. Altered knee kinematics and kinetics during functional activities have been viewed as risk factors for cartilage breakdown and, therefore, one of the primary goals of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is to restore knee joint function. Methods: Patients' (n = 18) knee mechanics while performing a single leg hop for distance were calculated for both legs using a soft-tissue artifact optimized rigid lower-body model at the pre-reconstruction state and six and twelve months after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Findings: Independent of the analyzed time point the involved leg showed a lower external flexion and adduction moment at the knee, and an increased anterior translation and external rotational offset of the shank with respect to the thigh compared to the uninvolved leg. There were no differences for any of the analyzed knee kinematic and kinetic parameters within the control subject group. Interpretation: The identified kinematic changes can cause a shift in the normal load-bearing regions of the knee and may support the view that the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis in an anterior cruciate ligament ruptured joint while performing activities involving frequent landing and stopping actions is less likely to be associated with the knee adduction moment and is rather due to kinematic changes. Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery failed to restore normal knee kinematics during landing, potentially explaining the persistent risk for the development of knee osteoarthritis in patients who have returned to sports following reconstruction surgery. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Suture Anchor Refixation of Meniscal Root Tears Without an Additional Portal

The biomechanical consequences of a tear of the posterior root of the medial meniscus are comparable to that of a complete meniscectomy. The integrity of the meniscal roots is crucial to enable the important function of load sharing and shock absorption. An untreated root tear leads to extrusion and loss of function of the meniscus causing early degenerative arthritis of the respective knee compartment. Meniscal root repair can be achieved by 2 main techniques: indirect fixation using pullout sutures through a transtibial tunnel with extracortical fixation and direct fixation using suture anchors. Pullout sutures are prone to elongation or abrasion of the suture material due to the length of the bone tunnel. Current suture anchor techniques are challenging as they require an additional posterior portal with higher risk of damage to neurovascular structures. Even with the use of specially designed curved passing devices, secure insertion of the anchor is difficult. We present a technique for suture anchor refixation of the posterior root of the medial meniscus without the need for an additional posterior portal

The fabella syndrome - a rare cause of posterolateral knee pain: a review of the literature and two case reports

Background: The purpose of this article was to evaluate the risks and benefits of non-operative treatment versus surgical excision of a fabella causing posterolateral knee pain. We performed a systematic review of literature and also present two case reports. Twelve publications were found in a PubMed literature review searching the word fabella syndrome. Non-operative treatment and surgical excision of the fabella has been described. Case presentation: Two patients presented to our outpatient clinic with persisting posterolateral knee pain. In both cases the presence of a fabella was identified, located in close proximity to the posterolateral femoral condyle. All other common causes of intra-and extra articular pathologies possibly causing the posterolateral knee pain were excluded. Following failure to respond to physiotherapy both patients underwent arthroscopy which excluded other possible causes for posterolateral knee pain. The decision was made to undertake surgical excision of the fabella in both cases without complication. Both patients were examined 6 month and one year after surgery with the Tegner activity score, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and International Knee Documentation Committee Score (IKDC). Conclusion: Consistent posterolateral pain during exercise might indicate the presence of a fabella syndrome. Resecting the fabella can be indicated and is a minor surgical procedure with minimal risk. Despite good results in the literature posterolateral knee pain can persist and prevent return to a high level of sports. Level of evidence: IV, case reports and analysis of literature