Long-term follow-up after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using a press-fit quadriceps tendon-patellar bone autograft

Background: The use of a quadriceps tendon-patellar bone (QTPB) autograft provides an alternative procedure in primary reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Using the press-fit technique for femoral fixation and knotting over a bone bridge as well as additional spongiosa filling for tibial fixation can completely eliminate the need for fixation implants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term clinical, functional and radiological results of this operating method. Methods: Sixty-nine patients (27 female-42 male) were included in this study. Fifty-seven patients (83%) received a comprehensive follow-up review after an average period of 7.5 years (range: 7–8.7). All other patients were surveyed by telephone. Six patients (9%) suffered a re-rupture of the ACL graft caused by a new related trauma and were therefore excluded from the statistical analysis. Results: Of all patients, 98% were satisfied with the operation. Normal or almost normal results were recorded in the subjective IKDC scores form by 88% of the patients. The Lysholm score demonstrated very good and good results in 83% of the patients. Only 1 patient reported minor complaints in the donor area. Seven (12%) patients developed Cyclops syndrome with limited knee extension. This complication was treated arthroscopically within the first year postoperatively. Their results on follow-up were not worse than the results of the patients without Cyclops syndrome. Regarding the 57 patients who received a comprehensive evaluation, the stability test with the KT-1000 Arthrometer yielded a difference of less than 3 mm in the contralateral comparison for 89% of the operated knees. The pivot-shift test was normal in 79% and almost normal in 21%. In the Single-leg Triple Hop Test, patients achieved an average of 98% of the hopping distance attained with the contralateral leg. The radiological examination revealed a slight deterioration in the Kellgren-Lawrence Score in 2 patients. Conclusion: The ACL reconstruction using the QTPB autograft performed with the press-fit technique leads to good results in comparison with published results of established procedures for primary ACL surgery using other autografts. Further investigations should involve comparative studies with the objective of providing evidence-based, individually adapted therapy for ACL rupture

Quadriceps tendon vs. patellar tendon autograft for ACL reconstruction using a hardware-free press-fit fixation technique: comparable stability, function and return-to-sport level but less donor site morbidity in athletes after 10 years

Introduction!#!The use of quadriceps tendon-patellar bone (QTB) autograft for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is gaining momentum. Yet, long-term results that compare this procedure with established methods are lacking. The aim of this study was to report and compare long-term results of ACL reconstruction using QTB autografts versus bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) autografts, both anchored using a hardware-free press-fit fixation technique.!##!Materials and methods!#!60 athletes (Tegner score ≥6) with primary ACL rupture were prospectively randomized into two groups. 56 patients were evaluated after a mean duration of 12.2 ± 1.9 months (range 10-14) and 43 patients after 10.3 ± 0.2 years (range 10-11).!##!Results!#!On final follow-up, 90% of patients scored very good and good results in the functional Lysholm score (mean 99 ± 7.1, range 74-100 points). Normal or almost normal IKDC score was reported by 84% of the patients (mean 97 ± 9.5, range 60-100 points). The activity level decreased in the Tegner score from median of 7 before injury to 6 after 10 years. The KT-1000 arthrometer showed a difference in the anterior translation of less than 3 mm (mean 1.0 ± 1.2, range - 1 to 5 mm) in 91% of the patients. Significant degeneration was radiologically detected in one patient per group. No tunnel widening was seen in any patient. Up to 97% of all patients were satisfied with the operative procedure. No significant differences were found in the mentioned parameters between the two groups and also in comparison with the 1-year results. The only significant difference was in the donor site morbidity. Significantly more patients in the BPTB group had complaints during kneeling both at 1 (p < 0.001) and 10 years (p = 0.019). Squatting was also subjectively more problematic in the BPTB group than in the QTB group both after 1 (p = 0.003) and 10 years (p = 0.046).!##!Conclusions!#!This study shows equally good functional, clinical and radiological long-term results for both hardware-free methods of ACL reconstruction. These results clinically confirm the safety of press-fit anchoring after 10 years. The failure rate in this study was very low, with only one re-rupture in 10 years. The increased donor site morbidity when using the BPTB autograft compared to the QTB autograft supports already reported data. It was also seen in this study for the implant-free press-fit techniques.!##!Study design!#!Prospective and randomized, level of evidence 2

Long-Term Outcome and Athletic Level following Operative Treatment for Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Knee in Pediatric and Adolescent Patients

Research on the long-term outcomes following surgical therapy for osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the knee is scarce. A single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted to investigate surgically treated patients for knee OCD between 1993 and 2007. A total of 37 patients with an average follow-up duration of 14 years (range 8–18) were in the final cohort. IKDC and Lysholm scores were assessed. The duration and types of sport activity were reported. Long-term results were compared with existing midterm data. Knee scores showed a very good outcome with a mean of 91.3 in the IKDC score and 91.7 in the Lysholm score. Compared to midterm outcomes, both IKDC (p = 0.028) and Lysholm scores (p = 0.01) improved on final follow-up. Patients with open physes showed a significantly better Lysholm score compared to patients with closed physes (p = 0.034). Defect localization and size did not influence the outcome, but a defect depth of 2 achieved significantly better scores than ≥0.8 cm2. Of all surgical interventions, refixation achieved the best outcome. Long-term results significantly improved compared to midterm results with a follow-up of 40 months (p = 0.01). Thirty-six out of 37 patients were physically active, with 56% of sports being knee-straining activities. Long-term results following surgically treated OCD fragments show excellent function and a good athletic level. Patients with open physes potentially have better knee outcomes. Midterm results are sustainable and could improve further in the long term

Evaluation of pulse pressure variation validity criteria in critically ill patients: a prospective observational multicentre point-prevalence study.

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