Revision of failed osteochondritis dissecans surgical treatment: case report

Background: Osteochondritis dissecans (OD) is one of the most common cartilage lesions of the knee. Conservative treatment is recommended if the lesions are stable with no loose bodies or there are open physes. Surgical intervention is recommended as the primary treatment in symptomatic adults with unstable chondral lesions or with concomitant loose bodies. Methods: We describe a case of a patient suffering from OD with a bone lesion in the weight-bearing area of medial femoral condyle. Arthroscopy was performed and an osteochondral fragment from the medial femoral condyle was observed and two articular loose bodies were removed. After months, the patient returned with pain and a locked knee. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) presented a new unstable chondral flap at the posterior border of the previous lesion. Surgery was performed again, and at open examination, the previous OD lesions were covered by regenerative tissue, with a lesion of 3 cm2 at the inferior medial part of the chondral flap. The peripheral margins were cleaned, and a subchondral crater was curetted. The subchondral lesion was debrided, and the flap was fixed with pins and a central bioresorbable screws. Results: Revision surgery with fixation of the chondral flap using bioresorbable pins and screws led to satisfactory results. Conclusion: Open revision surgery allowed us a more accurate assessment of the OD area to provide an effective fixation of the chondral flap and in this circumstance, this should have been done after seeing the first MRI.Hintergrund Die Osteochondritis dissecans (OD) ist eine der häufigsten Knorpelläsionen des Knies. Eine konservative Behandlung wird empfohlen, wenn die Läsionen stabil sind und keine Wackelkörper vorhanden sind oder es sich um offene Stellen handelt. Bei symptomatischen Erwachsenen mit instabilen chondralen Läsionen oder gleichzeitigen lockeren Körpern wird als erste Maßnahme ein chirurgischer Eingriff empfohlen. Methoden Wir beschreiben den Fall eines Patienten, der an einer OD mit einer Knochenläsion im lasttragenden Bereich des medialen Femurkondylus litt. Es wurde eine Arthroskopie durchgeführt, bei der ein osteochondrales Fragment des medialen Femurkondylus festgestellt und 2 Gelenklockerungskörper entfernt wurden. Nach Monaten kehrte der Patient mit Schmerzen und blockiertem Knie zurück. Die MRT zeigte einen neuen instabilen Knorpellappen am hinteren Rand der früheren Läsion. Der Patient wurde operiert, und bei der offenen Untersuchung wurde die frühere OD-Läsion durch regeneratives Gewebe mit einer 3 cm2 großen Läsion im unteren medialen Teil des Knorpellappens bedeckt. Die peripheren Ränder wurden gesäubert und der subchondrale Krater wurde kürettiert. Die subchondrale Läsion wurde debridiert, und der Lappen wurde mit Stiften und einem zentralen bioresorbierbaren Skalpell fixiert. Ergebnisse Die Revisionsoperation mit Fixierung des chondralen Lappens mit bioresorbierbaren Stiften und Schrauben führte zu zufriedenstellenden Ergebnissen. Schlussfolgerung Die offene Revisionsoperation ermöglichte uns eine genauere Beurteilung des OD-Bereichs, um eine wirksame Fixierung des Knorpellappens vorzunehmen, was in diesem Fall nach der ersten MRT-Untersuchung hätte erfolgen sollen

Arthroscopic Augmentation With Subscapularis Tendon in Anterior Shoulder Instability With Capsulolabral Deficiency

The treatment of chronic shoulder instability with poor quality of the anterior capsulolabral tissue is still controversial. In these cases the Latarjet procedure is certainly more effective in preventing recurrence than an arthroscopic capsular repair. However, several studies have reported a variety of severe complications related to the Latarjet procedure because of the use of bone augmentation and hardware implantation; moreover, the arthroscopic version of the Latarjet procedure is technically difficult and potentially dangerous because of the proximity of neurovascular structures. The aim of this report is to describe an innovative arthroscopic technique consisting of an augmentation of the anterior capsulolabral tissue using the articular portion of the subscapularis tendon and knotless suture anchors paired with high-strength tape for its fixation to the anterior glenoid edge. In the absence of severe bone deficiency of the anterior glenoid edge, this procedure can minimize arthroscopic technique failures, restoring the anterior capsulolabral wall without any significant reduction of shoulder functionality

Arthroscopic Bone Graft Procedure Combined With Arthroscopic Subscapularis Augmentation for Recurrent Anterior Instability With Glenoid Bone Defect

Glenoid bone loss and capsular deficiency represent critical points of arthroscopic Bankart repair failures. The purpose of this Technical Note is to present an all-arthroscopic bone block procedure associated with arthroscopic subscapularis augmentation for treating glenohumeral instability with glenoid bone loss and anterior capsulolabral deficiency. Two glenoid tunnels are set up from the posterior to the anterior side using a dedicated bone block guide, and 4 buttons are used to fix the graft to the glenoid. The subscapularis tenodesis is performed using a suture tape anchor. This combined arthroscopic technique (bone block associated with arthroscopic subscapularis augmentation) could be a valid and safe alternative to the arthroscopic or open Latarjet procedures

Arthroscopic Iliac Crest Bone Allograft Combined With Subscapularis Upper-Third Tenodesis Shows a Low Recurrence Rate in the Treatment of Recurrent Anterior Shoulder Instability Associated With Critical Bone Loss

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical and radiologic outcomes of patients undergoing arthroscopic glenoid bone allograft combined with subscapularis upper-third tenodesis for anterior shoulder instability associated with clinically relevant bone loss and hyperlaxity. Methods: Between January 2016 and December 2017, patients with recurrent anterior shoulder instability associated with bone loss and hyperlaxity were selected and treated with arthroscopic iliac crest bone graft combined with subscapularis upper-third tenodesis. The selection criteria were as follows: more than 5 dislocations; positive apprehension, anterior drawer, and Coudane-Walch test results; glenoid bone defect between 15% and 30% and humeral bone defect with an engaging Hill-Sachs lesion; and no previous shoulder surgery. All patients were followed up with the Constant score, University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) rating, Rowe score, and visual analog scale evaluation. Assessments were performed with plain radiographs and a PICO computed tomography scan before surgery and at 2 years of follow-up. Results: Nineteen patients were included in the study, with a mean follow-up duration of 34.6 months (range, 24-48 months). In 17 patients (89%), excellent clinical results were recorded according to the Rowe score. The Constant score improved from 82.9 (standard deviation [SD], 5.2) to 88.9 (SD, 4.3) (P = .002); Rowe score, from 25.3 (SD, 5.3) to 89.1 (SD, 21.8) (P < .001); UCLA score, from 23.7 (SD, 3) to 31.5 (SD, 4.8) (P < .001); and visual analog scale score, from 3.2 to 1.3 (P < .001). Patients met the minimal clinically important difference 94.7%, 89.5%, and 47.3% of the time for the Rowe score, UCLA score, and Constant score, respectively. Bone graft resorption was observed in all patients: partial in 9 and complete in 10. We recorded 2 recurrent traumatic dislocations (11%), with no case of persistent anterior apprehension or other complication. Conclusions: An arthroscopic glenoid bone graft combined with subscapularis upper-third tenodesis may be a valid surgical option to treat recurrent anterior instability associated with both bone loss and hyperlaxity. Level of evidence: Level IV, case series

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome after Spine Surgery: A Rare Complication in Mini-Invasive Lumbar Spine Surgery: An Updated Comprehensive Review

Background: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a postoperative, misdiagnosed condition highlighted only by pain therapists after numerous failed attempts at pain control by the treating surgeon in the case of prolonged pain after surgery. It only occurs rarely after spine surgery, causing the neurosurgeon&rsquo;s inappropriate decision to resort to a second surgical treatment. Methods: We performed a systematic review of the literature reporting and analyzing all recognized and reported cases of CRPS in patients undergoing spinal surgery to identify the best diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for this unusual condition. We compare our experience with the cases reported through a review of the literature. Results: We retrieve 20 articles. Most of the papers are clinical cases showing the disorder&rsquo;s rarity after spine surgery. Most of the time, the syndrome followed uncomplicated lumbar spine surgery involving one segment. The most proposed therapy was chemical sympathectomy and spinal cord stimulation. Conclusion: CRPS is a rare pathology and is rarer after spine surgery. However, it is quite an invalidating disorder. Early therapy and resolution, however, require a rapid diagnosis of the syndrome. In our opinion, since CRPS occurs relatively rarely following spinal surgery, it should not have a substantial impact on the indications for and timing of these operations. Therefore, it is essential to diagnose this rare occurrence and treat it promptly and appropriately

Impingement syndrome of the shoulder. Clinical data and radiologic findings

Subcoracoid impingement syndrome pain is elicited by some positions of the upper limbs, i.e., adduction and inward rotation, whenever coracohumeral space reduces. Although acquired or congenital malformations of the humeral head and/or coracoid apophysis are the most common causes of painful syndromes, repeated flections and inward rotations of the upper limbs, typical of some sports, such as swimming and tennis, and of some sports, such as swimming and tennis, and of some kinds of work, are predisposing factors. The subcoracoid impingement syndrome exhibits on pathogenomonic signs at clinics and the specificity of diagnostic methods is low, which calls for reliable radiologic assessment of this condition. Fifteen patients with subcoracoid impingement syndrome underwent X-ray, US, CT and MR studies. Plain radiography detected no specific signs of this syndrome, but yielded useful information regarding other painful syndromes of the shoulder, such as anatomical variants of the acromion and degenerative changes. US yield was poor because of the acoustic window of the coracoid apophysis, but supraspinatus tendon changes were demonstrated in 2 cases. CT and MRI proved to be the most reliable and accurate diagnostic methods, the former thanks to its sensitivity to even slight bone changes and to its capabilities in measuring coracohumeral distance and acquiring dynamic scans and the latter because it detects tendon, bursa and rotator cuff changes. To conclude, in our opinion, when the subcoracoid impingement syndrome is clinically suspected, plain X-ray films should be performed first and followed by MR scans

Arthroscopic bone graft procedure combined with arthroscopic subscapularis augmentation (ASA) for recurrent anterior instability with glenoid bone defect: a cadaver study

Abstract Background Glenoid bone loss and capsular deficiency represent critical points of arthroscopic Bankart repair failures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an all-arthroscopic bone block procedure associated with arthroscopic subscapularis augmentation (ASA) for treating gleno-humeral instability with glenoid bone loss (GBL) and anterior capsulo-labral deficiency. Our hypothesis was that these two procedures could be combined arthroscopically. The feasibility of this technique and its reproducibility, and potential neurovascular complications were evaluated. Methods A tricortical bone graft was harvested from the cadaveric clavicle, and in one case a Xenograft was used. An anterior-inferior GBL of about 25% was created. Two glenoid tunnels were set up from the posterior to the anterior side using a dedicated bone block guide, and four buttons were used to fix the graft to the glenoid. The subscapularis tenodesis was performed using a suture tape anchor. Afterwards, the shoulder was dissected to study the relationship between all portals and nerves. The size of the bone block, its position on the glenoid and the relationship with the subscapularis tendon were investigated. Results In all seven specimens (five left and two right shoulders), the bone block was flush with the cartilage and fixed to the anterior-inferior part of the glenoid. No lesions of the surrounding neurovascular structures were observed. No interference was found between the two bone block tunnels and the anchor tunnel used for the tenodesis. Conclusions This study demonstrated the feasibility and reproducibility of this combined arthroscopic technique (bone block associated with ASA) in the treatment of anterior shoulder instability associated with anterior bone loss and anterior capsular deficiency