Gilbert Moatshe

Anatomic Anterolateral Ligament Reconstruction of the Knee Leads to Overconstraint at Any Fixation Angle.

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are one of the most common injuries among athletes. However, the ability to fully restore rotational stability with ACL reconstruction (ACLR) remains a challenge, as evidenced by the persistence of rotational instability in up to 25% of patients after surgery. Advocacy for reconstruction of the anterolateral ligament (ALL) is rapidly increasing because some biomechanical studies have reported that the ALL is a significant contributor to internal rotational stability of the knee. Hypothesis/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of ALL reconstruction (ALLR) graft fixation angle on knee joint kinematics in the clinically relevant setting of a concomitant ACLR and to determine the optimal ALLR graft fixation angle. It was hypothesized that all fixation angles would significantly reduce rotational laxity compared with the sectioned ALL state. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Ten nonpaired fresh-frozen human cadaveric knees underwent a full kinematic assessment in each of the following states: (1) intact; (2) anatomic single-bundle (SB) ACLR with intact ALL; (3) anatomic SB ACLR with sectioned ALL; (4) anatomic SB ACLR with 7 anatomic ALLR states using graft fixation angles of 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, and 90°; and (5) sectioned ACL and ALL. Internal rotation during a 5-N·m internal rotation torque and anterior translation during an 88-N anterior load were recorded at 15° flexion intervals between 0° and 120°. Axial plane translation and internal rotation during a simulated pivot-shift test (combined 5-N·m internal rotation and 10-N·m valgus torques) were recorded between 0° and 60°. Kinematic changes were measured and compared with the intact state for all reconstructed and sectioned states. Results: Anatomic ALLR at all graft fixation angles significantly overconstrained internal rotation of the knee joint beyond 30° of flexion and at 45° and 60° during the pivot-shift test. Furthermore, there were no significant knee kinematic differences between any tested graft fixation angles during anterior drawer, pivot-shift, and internal rotation tests. Conclusion: Anatomic ALLR in conjunction with an ACLR significantly reduced rotatory laxity of the knee beyond 30° of knee flexion. However, ALLR, regardless of fixation angle, resulted in significant overconstraint of the knee. Clinical Relevance: ALLR at any fixation angle overconstrained native joint kinematics and should be performed with careful consideration. Further investigation into the application and target population for ALLR is strongly recommended.

Concentrated Bone Marrow Aspirate for the Treatment of Chondral Injuries and Osteoarthritis of the Knee A Systematic Review of Outcomes

Background: Bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) has emerged as a novel treatment for pathology of the knee. Despite containing a limited number of stem cells, BMAC serves as a source of growth factors that are thought to play an important role as a result of their anabolic and anti-inflammatory effects. To our knowledge, there is no systematic review regarding the outcomes of bone marrow aspirate concentrate used for the treatment of chondral defects and osteoarthritis of the knee. Purpose: To perform a systematic review on the outcomes of bone marrow aspirate concentrate for the treatment of chondral defects and osteoarthritis of the knee. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed using the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, and MEDLINE from 1980 to present. Inclusion criteria were as follows: use of BMAC for treatment of chondral defects and osteoarthritis of the knee, English language, and human studies. We excluded cadaveric studies, animal studies, basic science articles, editorial articles, surveys, and studies that did not include the knee. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, studies were evaluated for efficacy and safety of BMAC for treatment of articular cartilage knee pathologies. Results: Eleven studies were considered. Of these, 5 were prospective studies, 1 was a retrospective study, 2 were case series, and 3 were case reports. Three comparative studies (2 with level 2 evidence, 1 with level 3 evidence) were found in our search; none of them were randomized. Three studies investigated the clinical efficacy of BMAC in the treatment of osteoarthritis, and 8 studies evaluated the efficacy of BMAC on focal cartilage injuries. All 3 studies regarding osteoarthritis and all 8 studies regarding focal chondral defects reported good to excellent overall outcomes with the use of BMAC. Conclusion: Although a growing interest for biological alternatives of treating knee pathology has been observed in the past few years, there still remains a paucity of high-quality studies. The studies included in this systematic review reported varying degrees of beneficial results with the use of BMAC with and without an additional procedure for the treatment of chondral defects and early stages of osteoarthritis. Most articles present the use of BMAC as a safe procedure and report good results.

Meniscal Ramp Lesions Anatomy, Incidence, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Meniscal ramp lesions are more frequently associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries than previously recognized. Some authors suggest that this entity results from disruption of the meniscotibial ligaments of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus, whereas others support the idea that it is created by a tear of the peripheral attachment of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans have been reported to have a low sensitivity, and consequently, ramp lesions often go undiagnosed. Therefore, to rule out a ramp lesion, an arthroscopic evaluation with probing of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus should be performed. Several treatment options have been reported, including nonsurgical management, inside-out meniscal repair, or all-inside meniscal repair. In cases of isolated ramp lesions, a standard meniscal repair rehabilitation protocol should be followed. However, when a concomitant ACL reconstruction (ACLR) is performed, the rehabilitation should follow the designated ACLR postoperative protocol. The purpose of this article was to review the current literature regarding meniscal ramp lesions and summarize the pertinent anatomy, biomechanics, diagnostic strategies, recommended treatment options, and postoperative protocol.

Opening- and Closing-Wedge Distal Femoral Osteotomy A Systematic Review of Outcomes for Isolated Lateral Compartment Osteoarthritis

Background: Lateral compartment osteoarthritis of the knee can be a challenging pathology in the younger, active population due to limited treatment options and high patient expectations. Distal femoral osteotomy (DFO) has been reported to be a potential treatment option. Purpose: To perform a systematic review on the survival, outcomes, and complications of DFO for treatment of genu valgum with concomitant lateral compartment osteoarthritis of the knee. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed using the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials, PubMed, and MEDLINE from 1980 to present. Inclusion criteria were as follows: outcomes of opening- and closing-wedge DFOs performed for treatment of genu valgum with concomitant lateral compartment osteoarthritis of the knee, English language, minimum 2-year follow-up, and human studies. Data abstracted from the selected studies included type of osteotomy (opening vs closing), survival rate, patient-reported and radiographic outcomes, and complications. Results: Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were considered for the review. A total of 9 closing-wedge and 5 opening-wedge DFO studies were included. All were retrospective studies and reported good to excellent patient-reported outcomes after DFO. Survival decreased with increasing time from surgery, with 1 study reporting a 100% survival rate at 6.5 years, compared with 21.5% at 20 years in another study. A low rate of complications was reported throughout the review. Conclusion: Highly heterogeneous literature exists for both opening- and closing-wedge DFOs for the treatment of isolated lateral compartment osteoarthritis with valgus malalignment. A mean survival rate of 80% at 10-year follow-up was reported, supporting that this procedure can be a viable treatment option to delay or reduce the need for joint arthroplasty. A low complication rate was observed, with symptomatic hardware being the most prevalent postoperative complication.

Posterior meniscal root injuries

ABSTRACT — Meniscal root tears (MRTs) are defined as radial tears within 1 cm of the meniscal root insertion, or an avulsion of the insertion of the meniscus. These injuries change joint loading due to failure of the meniscus to convert axial loads into hoop stresses, resulting in joint overloading and degenerative changes in the knee. Meniscal root repair is recommended in patients without advanced osteoarthritis (Outerbridge 3–4), in order to restore joint congruence and loading and therefore to avoid the long-term effect of joint overloading. Several techniques have been described. Improved knee function has been reported after meniscal root repair, but there are still conflicting reports on whether surgical treatment can prevent osteoarthritis.

Clinical Outcomes of High Tibial Osteotomy for Knee Instability A Systematic Review

Background: In recent years there has been an increasing interest in high tibial osteotomy (HTO) to treat patients with chronic knee instability due to posterolateral corner (PLC), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) insufficiencies with concurrent malalignment in the coronal and/or sagittal plane. Purpose: To perform a systematic review of the use of HTO for the treatment of knee ligament instability with concurrent malalignment. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted for the treatment of combined knee ligament instability and malalignment with HTO using the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, and MEDLINE (1980 to present); the queries were performed in July 2015. Terms searched included the following: high or proximal tibial osteotomy, unstable, instability, laxity, subluxation, tibial slope, and malalignment, in the knee joint. Inclusion criteria were as follows: HTO to treat instability of the knee joint in the sagittal and/or coronal plane, minimum 2-year follow-up with reported outcomes measures, English language, and human studies. Animal, basic science, and cadaveric studies were excluded as well as editorials, reviews, expert opinions, surveys, special topics, letters to the editor, and correspondence. Results: The search resulted in 460 studies. After applying exclusion criteria and removing duplicates, 13 studies were considered. Of the studies reviewed, knee ligament pathologies, previous surgeries, and measurement of knee stability were heterogeneous. However, all studies reported an improvement in knee stability after HTO. Most studies reported improvement in outcome scores. However, other studies did not provide preoperative scores for comparison. Reported complication rates ranged from 0% to 47%. Conclusion: Although HTO has been highly advocated and used in treating patients with ligamentous knee instability, there remains a paucity of high-quality studies. Included studies report improvement of instability as well as relatively high patient satisfaction and rate of return to sports. The heterogeneity of the pathology treated, follow-up time, and outcome measures limit comparison between studies.

Anatomic Posterolateral Corner Reconstruction

Posterolateral corner injuries represent a complex injury pattern, with damage to important coronal and rotatory stabilizers of the knee. These lesions commonly occur in association with other ligament injuries, making decisions regarding treatment challenging. Grade III posterolateral corner injuries result in significant instability and have poor outcomes when treated nonoperatively. As a result, reconstruction is advocated. A thorough knowledge of the anatomy is essential for surgical treatment of this pathology. The following technical note provides a diagnostic approach, postoperative management, and details of a technique for anatomic reconstruction of the 3 main static stabilizers of the posterolateral corner of the knee.

Intertunnel Relationships in the Tibia During Reconstruction of Multiple Knee Ligaments: How to Avoid Tunnel Convergence.

Background: Knee dislocations are rare but potentially devastating injuries, often involving tears of multiple knee ligaments. Several studies have reported improved clinical and functional outcomes with surgical management of torn knee ligaments compared with nonsurgical management. Most multiple ligament reconstruction techniques involve creating several tunnels for various reconstruction grafts, posing a risk of tunnel convergence in the proximal tibia. Purpose: To assess the risk of tunnel convergence and determine the optimal tunnel placement for the reconstruction of multiple ligaments in the tibia. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: Three-dimensional knee models were developed using customized software from computed tomography images of 21 patients. Mimics software was used to create tunnels for each of the 4 primary ligamentous structures, replicating a surgical approach that would be used in actual multiple ligament reconstruction surgery. The tunnel orientation was varied in anatomically relevant directions to find orientations that did not result in tunnel convergence. Results: There was a high risk of tunnel convergence (66.7%) between the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and posterior oblique ligament (POL) tunnels when the POL tunnel was aimed toward the Gerdy tubercle as suggested in the literature. No tunnel convergence was observed when the POL tunnel was aimed 15 mm medial to the Gerdy tubercle. No tunnel convergence was observed between the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and POL. Tunnel convergence was observed between the PCL and superficial medial collateral ligament (sMCL) in 19.0% of cases when the sMCL tunnel was aimed transversely across the tibia. Aiming the sMCL tunnel transversely and directing 30° distally significantly increased the mean distance between the sMCL and PCL to 6.9 mm (P < .001), and no tunnel convergence was observed. No tunnel convergence was observed between the PCL and posterolateral corner tunnels or between the ACL and PCL tunnels. Conclusion: There is a high risk of tunnel convergence in the proximal tibia during the reconstruction of multiple knee ligaments. Aiming the POL tunnel 15 mm medial to the Gerdy tubercle and the sMCL tunnel transversely across the tibia (anterior to the fibula) and 30° distal to the horizontal plane reduces the risk of tunnel convergence. Clinical Relevance: The tunnel orientation of the POL and sMCL on the tibia should be adjusted to avoid convergence with the PCL tunnel during multiple ligament knee reconstruction.

Demographics and Injuries Associated With Knee Dislocation: A Prospective Review of 303 Patients:

Background: Information on the incidence, injury mechanisms, ligament injury patterns, and associated injuries of knee dislocations is lacking in the literature. There is a need to characterize ligament injury patterns and associated injuries in knee dislocations to avoid missing common associated diagnoses and to plan surgical treatment. Purpose: To evaluate patient demographics, ligament injury patterns and associated injury patterns, and associated injuries in patients with knee dislocation. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A total of 303 patients with knee dislocations treated at a single level 1 trauma center were followed prospectively. Injury mechanism; ligament injury patterns; associated neurovascular, meniscal, and cartilage injuries; and surgical complications were recorded. The Schenck knee dislocation classification was used to classify the ligament injury patterns. Results: The mean age at injury was 37.8 ± 15.3 years. Of the 303 patients included, 65% were male and 35% were female. There was an equal distribution of high-energy and low-energy injuries. Injury to 3 major ligaments was the most common, with Schenck classification type KD III-M constituting 52.4% of the injuries and KD III-L comprising 28.1%. Meniscal injuries and cartilage injuries occurred in 37.3% and 28.3% of patients, respectively. Patients with acute injuries had significantly lower odds of a cartilage injury than those with chronic injuries (odds ratio [OR], 0.28; 95% CI, 0.15-0.50; P < .001). Peroneal nerve injuries were recorded in 19.2% of patients (10.9% partial and 8.3% complete deficit), while vascular injuries were recorded in 5%. The odds of having a common peroneal nerve injury were 42 times greater (P < .001) among those with posterolateral corner injury (KD III-L) than those without. The odds for popliteal artery injury were 9 times greater (P = .001) among those with KD III-L injuries than other ligament injury types. Conclusion: Medial-sided bicruciate injuries were the most common injury pattern in knee dislocations. Cartilage injuries were common in chronically treated patients. There was a significant risk of peroneal nerve injury with lateral-sided injuries.

Diagnosis and treatment of multiligament knee injury: state of the art

Multiligament knee injuries constitute a complex and challenging entity, not only because of the diagnosis and reconstruction procedure itself, but also because of the rehabilitation programme after the index procedure. A high level of suspicion and a comprehensive clinical and radiographic examination are required to identify all injured structures. Concomitant meniscal, chondral and nerve injuries are common in multiligament injuries necessitating a detailed evaluation. Stress radiographs are valuable in evaluating patients preoperatively and postoperatively. The current literature supports surgical management of multiligament injuries, and reconstructions are recommended because repair of ligaments has higher failure rates. Reconstruction of all injured ligaments in one stage is advocated (if possible) in order to achieve early mobilisation and to avoid joint stiffness. Using biomechanically and clinically validated anatomic ligament reconstructions improves outcomes. In the setting of multiligament knee reconstructions, several technical aspects that require consideration are vital, such as the graft choice, the sequence of ligaments reconstruction, tunnel position and orientation to avoid tunnel interference and graft tensioning order. This review article discusses the use of stress radiographs in diagnosing ligament injuries and evaluating postoperative stability. Tunnel convergence and tensioning sequence are potential problems, and guidelines to address these are also discussed. Recovery after a multiligament reconstruction surgery typically requires 9 to 12 months of rehabilitation prior to returning to full activities. The purpose of this article is to review the specific principles of multiligament injuries, classification, diagnosis, treatment options and rehabilitation guidelines for addressing these complex injuries.