Articular cartilage homeostasis after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

PubMed ID: 9604193Several factors may be responsible for osteoarthritis after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. The detrimental effect of the surgical technique may explain part of the progression of the pathologic process. In this study, the effect of ACL reconstruction on articular cartilage was investigated by measuring proteoglycan fragments (PF) in synovial fluid collected from patients who had undergone this operation. Synovial samples were obtained from 44 patients with chronic ACL deficiency aged 26 ± 7 years preoperatively, and from some of them, samples were collected for monitoring at 1 month (n = 22), 3 months (n = 17), 6 months (n = 18) and 12s month (n = 18). Synovial fluid taken from 12 contralateral asymptomatic knees of 12 patients (not necessarily opposite knees of ACL-deficient cases) served as controls. Preoperative values were significantly larger than controls (P < 0.05). PF level reached its maximum value in the 1st month (P < 0.05) and then gradually decreased. It was significantly lower than preoperative values at 6 and 12 months but still greater than controls (P < 0.05). It seems that surgical trauma affects cartilage metabolism for the first 3 months postoperatively. Although reconstruction of the ACL contributes to articular cartilage homeostasis, a complete return to normal values cannot be achieved in 1st postoperative year at least in knees with chronic ACL deficiency. Long-term monitoring is needed to see whether these findings are early signs of osteoarthritis. Further studies may more clearly demonstrate the effect of the surgical procedure on knees with acute and subacute ACL deficiency

Long-term results of treatment including creation of a gutter and muscle transposition for chronic sclerosing osteomyelitis [Kronik sklerozan osteomiyelit tedavisinde oluklaştirma ve kas taşima tekniginin uzun dönem sonuçlari]

PubMed ID: 20134219Objectives: We evaluated long-term results of treatment including creation of a gutter and muscle transposition in patients with chronic sclerosing osteomyelitis (CSO). Methods: Between 1980 and 1996, 11 patients (5 women, 6 men; mean age 36 years; range 17 to 69 years) with CSO were treated with creation of a gutter and muscle transposition. Seven patients had femoral, and four patients had tibial involvement. The main complaint was pain. The patients were evaluated with respect to complaints and radiologically (Xray, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging) after a mean follow-up of 12.4 years (range 6 to 24 years). Results: During the follow up period, all the patients remained symptom-free without the need for antibiotic treatment except for one patient with tibial involvement, whose pain recurred after five years. The patient's complaint disappeared following reoperation with the same technique. Histologic examination of surgical biopsies showed nonspecific changes consistent with low-grade chronic osteomyelitis. Cultures were negative in all cases. Control radiographies showed no progression of sclerosis. Computed tomography showed cortical bone formation surrounding the transposed muscle, and magnetic resonance imaging showed fatty degeneration in the transposed muscle, without any signs of active osteomyelitis. Conclusion: The aim of gutter creation and muscle transposition is to increase blood supply to the diseased bone segment, without the need for microsurgical interventions and secondary reconstructive procedures. Our long-term results show that this technique is efficacious in patients with femoral and tibial involvement. © 2009 Turkish Association of Orthopaedics and Traumatology

Effect of the vastus medialis obliquus on the patellofemoral joint

PubMed ID: 9704325In this study, the effect of dynamic stabilizers on the patellofemoral (PF) joint was investigated in normal volunteers (group I) and in patients with patellar pain (group II) or instability (group III) by using computed tomography (CT) analysis and integrated electromyography (iEMG) of the quadriceps muscle. Nine subjects (16 knees) from group I, 10 patients (12 knees) from group II and 8 patients (12 knees) from group III were included in the study. CT scans of the PF joint with quadriceps contracted (QC) and uncontracted (QU) and iEMG of vastus medialis obliquus (VMO), vastus lateralis (VL) and rectus femoris (RF) were obtained with the aid of a specially designed jig at 0°, 15°, 30° and 45° of knee flexion. The same muscle contraction pattern simulating closed kinetic chain exercise was used for both CT and iEMG. The difference between the congruence angles (CA) and tilt angles (PTA) in QC and QU positions and VMO:VL ratio from the iEMG were calculated separately for each flexion angle. CA was increased in all groups with quadriceps contraction at 0° and 15° of flexion. PTA was decreased in group I and increased in groups II and III with quadriceps contraction at the same flexion angles. This difference was statistically significant in group III at 0° and 15° of flexion. Quadriceps contraction did not affect the patellar position significantly even in the instability group at 45° of flexion. In all flexion angles the balanced VMO:VL activity ratio was observed only in group I. In the other goups, VL activity was higher than VMO activity except at 45° of flexion. These findings do not support the hypothesis of dominant centralizing effect of VMO on the patella in extension, but the effect of the VMO may be more clearly demonstrated by measuring PTA in both QC and QU positions