No abstract

There are many types of sliding knots and suture materials used in arthroscopic surgery. The purposes of this study are (i) to evaluate the loop security of standard sliding knots when using different types of high-strength suture materials and (ii) to compare the loop security of a new sliding knot (Chula knot) to other standard sliding knots. Four configurations of sliding locking knots (Weston, SMC, Tennessee and Chula knots) were tied using three commonly used suture materials: MagnumWire, Hi-Fi, and FiberWire. The suture loops were mounted on two metallic hooks of the universal testing machine. Then, the suture loop was pulled apart until failure. The Weston knot demonstrated the greatest load to failure in all suture materials. By using MagnumWire, the load to failure was as follow: Weston 53.2 N, Chula 48.8 N, SMC 39.2 N, and Tennessee 29.3 N. By using Hi-Fi, the load to failure was as follow: Weston 58.8 N, Chula 51.5 N, SMC 38.1 N, and Tennessee 28.7 N. By using FiberWire, the load to failure was as follow: Weston 38.8 N, Chula 29.7 N, SMC 23.2 N, and Tennessee 21.9 N. Weston knot has the highest loop security in all suture materials. Weston-HiFi combination demonstrate the strongest loop security. Conversely, the weakest combination is Tennessee-FiberWire. Chula knot has similar properties to other commonly used arthroscopic sliding knots. Our findings indicate that surgeons should be careful in selecting proper knot-suture combinations. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 34:1804-1807, 2016.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is a common injury of the knee. Arthroscopic ACL reconstruction is a standard treatment for this condition. All-inside ACL reconstruction has many advantages compared with conventional techniques. However, there are still concerns regarding graft elongation and stability with all-inside ACL reconstruction. Here, we propose an arthroscopic technique using the shortening strands of a flexible suspensory button as an internal brace. This method provides the advantages of increased stability and ACL graft protection while using the same implant as the all-inside ACL reconstruction technique.

Meniscus root tear leads to circumferential hoop tension loss and increases femorotibial contact force, which causes irreversible cartilage degeneration. Biomechanical studies have shown that meniscus root repair provides better femorotibial contact force than meniscectomy. Many techniques for meniscus root repair have been published in recent years. The soft suture anchor is widely used in the glenoid labral repair. It is a small low-profile soft anchor. This article presents a new and simple technique of lateral meniscus root repair using the small soft anchor, which results in an anatomic and more vertical anchor position. It avoids instrument-related complications, such as cartilage delamination, material reaction, metal retention, and hard suture anchor pullout.

There are many types of sliding locking knots used in arthroscopic surgery. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages. This technical note describes a new sliding locking knot, the Chula knot. This knot has been used for arthroscopic shoulder surgery in more than 500 cases at our hospital. The Chula knot has a special property in that it can be unfastened and retightened in case of premature locking and unintended loop loosening. This retensioning ability cannot be found in other configurations of arthroscopic knots. The Chula knot also has other benefits: It has high ultimate tensile strength and is easy to tie.