Alexandre Hardy

Functional outcomes and return to sports after surgical treatment of insertional Achilles tendinopathy: Surgical approach tailored to the degree of tendon involvement

INTRODUCTION Insertional Achilles tendinopathy is a generic term that encompasses several types of ailments. While conservative treatment is less effective than for conditions isolated to the tendon body, there is no consensus as to the best type of surgical care. HYPOTHESIS Surgical treatment for insertional Achilles tendinopathy that is tailored to the severity of the tendon involvement will lead to satisfactory functional outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS Forty-six patients were included with an average age of 44.1±11.4 years and a mean preoperative AOFAS score of 62.2±11.7. The mean duration of symptoms before the surgery was 33.1±24 months. The inclusion criteria were pain at the tendon insertion and failure of at least 6 months of conservative treatment. Tendon involvement was evaluated preoperatively using MRI and confirmed intraoperatively after debridement. The primary treatment in all patients was resection of the calcaneal abnormality. Depending on the degree of tendon involvement, debridement or detachment/reattachment were also performed. The minimum follow-up was 12 months. RESULTS The mean follow-up was 33±13.5 months. None of the patients were lost to follow-up. The mean AOFAS score was 93.7±7.3 at the last follow-up. The ATRS and VISA-A scores were 89.2±4.1 and 89±3.2, respectively. The sports participation level was the same or higher in 71.7% of cases. Increased preoperative passive dorsiflexion was statistically correlated with the degree of tendon involvement. CONCLUSION Surgery for insertional Achilles tendinopathy led to good functional outcomes and satisfactory return to sports when the surgical care was tailored to the sdegree of tendon involvement. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV.

An original all-arthroscopic technique for bony fixation of lateral meniscus allograft via four tibial tunnels: A cadaver study

Bone fixation of the two roots improves meniscal allograft positioning as compared to simple meniscal peripheral wall fixation. An all-arthroscopic 4-point bone fixation technique could provide rigid primary fixation and a more stable allograft. The technique was implemented on 8 fresh cadavers, under arthroscopy, via tibial bone tunnels at the posterior root, popliteal hiatus, anteromedial segment and anterior root, with cortical buttons for tibial graft fixation. Mean surgery time was 65±5minutes (range, 55-80min). The main difficulty lay in creating the tunnel to fix the anterior horn, which sometimes required an additional lateral portal. This 4-point bone fixation technique proved feasible and reproducible, and offers a novel means of stable primary fixation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV, cadaver study.

More than just teddy bears: Unconventional transmission agents in the operating room

INTRODUCTION Surgical site infection (SSI) following orthopedic surgery can have a substantial impact on patients and families. The rate remains high, ranging from 0.5% to 8.5% in pediatric spine surgery. It is common to allow children to bring a teddy bear (or similar toy) to the surgical ward to help reduce the stress of surgery. We hypothesize that despite their known benefits for children, teddies would increase the bacterial load in the surgical room. METHODS A blinded descriptive study was conducted from June 2015 to September 2016. The study included children entering the hospital through the emergency ward for a traumatic cause requiring surgery. Patients admitted for infectious problems and those who had been hospitalized less than 6 months before the inclusion date were excluded. A picture of the teddy was taken and stored in a blind fashion. The AFNOR (Association française de normalisation) standardized rules for bacteriological surface control and the ISO/DIS 14698 protocol were strictly followed. Two independent observers performed blind bacteriologic analyses of the teddy bears with bacteria identification and colony counts. Photos of the teddy bears were then analyzed by two blinded, independent observers: one doctor and one parent from outside the hospital. Cleanliness and fluffiness of the toy was evaluated using a numeric scale. RESULTS Bacteria were identified on 100% of the 53 teddies included. The mean number of bacteria was 182.5±49.8 CFU/25 cm2. Eight teddies (15.1%) tested positive for potential pathogenic bacteria (two staphylococcus aureus, one acinetobacter ursingii, four acinetobacter baumannii, one pseudomonas stutzeri). Three teddies (5.7%) tested positive for fungi. The median cleanliness score was 2 (interquartile range (IQR)=1) if rated by the doctor and 2 (IQR=1) if rated by the parent. No statistical difference was found between these two values in the global teddy bear population. We found no any statistical link between the number of CFUs and the cleanliness scores given by the doctor. The median fluffiness score given by the parent was 2 (IQR=1). Looking at the correlative CFUs, we found a statistically significant difference between each stage of fluffiness with a higher stage showing higher CFU (P<0.0001). CONCLUSION Despite their documented benefits for the child, teddy bears are not appropriate in the surgical room.