This study examined the anatomy including the innervation of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) and its relation to neighboring structures to help interpretation of magnetic resonance images and to improve the surgical approach to MPFL repair. The medial aspect of 39 unpreserved human knees were dissected and the MPFL and its relations to neighboring anatomical structures were measured exactly. The morphology and the attachments are described. The MPFL was present in all knees although varying in quality between individuals but not from side to side. The width of the MPFL was 1.9 cm (1.0-3.0) and length 5.3 cm (4.5-6.4). The superior edge of the MPFL medial to the vastus medialis muscle was always easily identified. Failure to identify the superior edge during MPFL surgery is therefore highly suggestive of a MPFL tear. The variation in the ratios of patella height to MPFL length and of patella width to MPFL length ratios was to high too be used to calculate the MPFL length in MPFL reconstruction surgery. The medial patellomeniscal ligament had a wide insertion at the anterior horn of the medial meniscus and a narrow insertion (0.3-0.5 cm) at the inferomedial corner of the patella in layer 3. Histological examination was made of 14 ligaments documenting the presence of free nerve endings but no mechanoreceptors.

We used MRI to study the lesions in a consecutive group of 64 patients with an acute trauma of the knee and normal plain radiography during the winter season. Bone bruise was present in 35 of the patients, and these were referred to subsequent MRI 4 and 12 months later. After 4 months bone bruise was still present in 69% of the patients and after 12 months in 12%. Soft tissue lesions, for example, lesion in the meniscus, ACL rupture, or MCL lesion was present in 94% of the patients with bone bruise. Interobserver agreement varied from good to excellent. Soft tissue lesions are found in almost all patients with bone bruise, and these generally resolve 4-12 months after the injury. In the patients with no bone bruise the number of ligament injuries was lower.

To determine the correlation between Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and clinical examination of the knee after an acute injury, and to see to what extent MRI affected the planned treatment, we examined 90 consecutive patients in a prospective study, clinically and with an extremity Magnetic Resonance (MR) scanner. The number of meniscal lesions, bone bruises and osteochondral lesions found on MRI was significantly higher than the clinical examinations indicated. Despite this, the treatment was only changed in 6 cases. In no case did MRI prevent a planned arthroscopy. MRI may reveal many clinically silent changes in the knee, also after minor injuries. The significance of these MRI findings must await long-term follow-up.

removal, the subcutaneous accumulation of hydroxyproline, proline and total protein is measurable (6). In this model, the accumulated collagen in the ePTFE tube has been found to correlate with the tensile strength at experimental wounds (7). The aim of the study was to evaluate wound healing at alcohol abuse and after withdrawal. Material After informed consent, sixteen alcoholic outpatients (12 men and 4 women) were included for evaluation of wound healing capacity, when they entered the Alcohol Unit for treatment of alcohol abuse. The patients had been drinking 240 g (median) ethanol daily (range 72-1,020) for at least three months before inclusion. They were all in relatively good physical condition; however, two patients suffered from chronic bronchitis in mild to moderate degree, and one from non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. None of the abusers had clinical or biochemical signs of hepatitis or hepatic cirrhosis.