No abstract

Purpose The knee stiffness acquired following an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury might affect clinical knee tests, i.e., the pivot-shift maneuver. In contrast, the motor effects of spinal anesthesia could favor the identification of rotatory knee deficiencies prior to ACL reconstruction. Hence, we hypothesized that the intra-operative pivot-shift maneuver under spinal anesthesia generates more acceleration in the lateral tibial plateau of patients with an injured ACL than without. Methods Seventy patients with unilateral and acute ACL rupture (62 men and 8 women, IKDC of 55.1 ± 13.8 pts) were assessed using the pivot-shift maneuver before and after receiving spinal anesthesia. A triaxial accelerometer was attached to the skin between Gerdys’ tubercle and the anterior tuberosity to measure the subluxation and reduction phases. Mixed ANOVA and multiple comparisons were performed considering the anesthesia and leg as factors (alpha = 5%). Results We found a higher acceleration in the injured leg measured under anesthesia compared to without anesthesia (5.12 ± 1.56 m.s− 2 vs. 2.73 ± 1.19 m.s− 2, p < 0.001), and compared to the non-injured leg (5.12 ± 1.56 m.s− 2 vs. 3.45 ± 1.35 m.s− 2, p < 0.001). There was a presence of significant interaction between leg and anesthesia conditions (p < 0.001). Conclusions The pivot-shift maneuver performed under anesthesia identifies better rotatory instability than without anesthesia because testing the pivot-shift without anesthesia underestimates the rotatory subluxation of the knee by an increased knee stiffness. Thus, testing under anesthesia provides a unique opportunity to determine the rotational instability prior to ACL reconstruction.

The main goal in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) should be to restore normal knee biomechanics so the chances of failure decrease. The persistence of knee instability after ACLR goes from 0.7% to 20%. Several factors have been identified and studied, but there are some selected cases in which it seems that without adding lateral extra-articular tenodesis (LET) it is not possible to control rotational instability. Data exist supporting that LET could reduce pivot shift (PS), without losing flexion/extension range of motion nor adding risk of osteoarthritis. Recently, LET has been used in addition to ACLR to add restriction to internal tibial rotation forces, and different authors have shown their techniques to achieve this task. Also, biomechanical studies have compared different techniques for LET procedures. This article aims to describe our technique performing a modified Macintosh LET as an addition to ACLR in selected patients who require extra internal tibial rotation control. This is a reproducible, easy to learn, and inexpensive procedure in terms that only a high resistance suture is needed and not any other implant, such as a stapler, anchors, or screws, reducing the risk of tunnel coalition.

The nerve regeneration patterns of five different types of grafts were studied in 40 rabbits. Conventional nerve autografts, vascularized nerve autografts, fresh nerve allografts, frozen nerve allografts, and muscle autografts were sutured to a 1.5 cm gap in the sciatic nerve and compared with normal nerves and nerves with a 3 cm gap. Regeneration was evaluated by means of electromyography, light and electron microscopy. Quantitative data from morphometric analysis of axonal diameter and myelination were statistically analyzed. Results 5 months after grafting showed no significant differences between the conventional and vascularized nerve autografts. There were no significant differences between frozen nerve allografts and muscle autografts. The best regeneration was achieved with autografts.

BackgroundFemoroacetabular impingement (FAI) can be a source of hip pain in young adults. Some reports have revealed that participation in high-impact sports may play a role in the development of cam deformity, and there is a higher prevalence of signs of cam impingement in asymptomatic adolescents who participate in soccer and basketball than in non-athlete controls; however, current evidence is scarce regarding the initiation and development of deformities.PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of radiographic hip abnormalities related to FAI in young elite soccer players and compare this with findings in a group of adult elite soccer players.Subjects and methodsAnteroposterior pelvic and cross-table hip radiographs were obtained for 75 young elite soccer players with skeletal immaturity (group 1) and for 75 adult elite soccer players (group 2), all of whom were previously asymptomatic and had no history of hip disease. After exclusion, group 1 included 72 patients, and group 2 included 70 patients. Radiological signs of FAI were evaluated.Results34 subjects in groups 1 and 2 demonstrated cam morphology. The prevalence of pincer morphology was 30 in group 1 and 36 in group 2. However, these differences were not statistically significant.ConclusionWe found no differences in the prevalence of FAI radiological signs between soccer players in their late adolescence and adult soccer players.