Tibial plateau fracture after arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Use of Unidirectional Porous β-Tricalcium Phosphate in the Tibial Tunnel for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Case Series

Bone defects in the tibial tunnel for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction can cause adverse events. The unidirectional porous tricalcium β-phosphate (UDPTCP) has the potential to be used as a filling substitute for bone defects. In this case series, we present the first nine cases in which UDPTCP was used as a bone substitute in the tibial tunnel during ACL reconstruction. The patients comprised six males and three females, with an average age of 32 years (range: 16-50 years). A cylindrical UDPTCP measuring 10 x 20 mm was molded to fit the tibial tunnel and then implanted. At the one-year postoperative follow-up, none of the patients demonstrated any complications, and bone remodeling was observed on radiographs. Therefore, UDPTCP may provide a safe and reliable filling substitute for the tibial tunnel in ACL reconstruction.

Uncommon Complications after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL-R) is a common surgical procedure, with good outcome in 75 to 97% of the cases. However, different complications have been described including infection, hemarthrosis, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and pulmonary embolism (PE) with a rate ranging from 1 to 15%. There are few case reports in the literature describing rare complications after ACL-R and they can be divided into: (1) complications related to the fixation device (rupture, migration); (2) fractures (tibial or femoral side); (3) infections due to uncommon bacteria, mycobacterium, and mycosis; (4) rare vascular injuries; (5) nerve injuries; and (6) other rare complications. In case of fixation device rupture or migration, device removal can be easy but the diagnosis may be challenging. Patellar fracture after ACL-R may be related to harvesting and it is not uncommon. Conversely, femoral or tibial fractures are most frequently due to bone weakness related to bone tunnels. Some rare infections related to uncommon bacteria or mycosis are also described with potentially devastating joint damage. Popliteal artery injuries are uncommon in ACL-R but minor vessels damages are described with possible severe consequences for patients. Injuries to the infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve are not uncommon in ACL-R. However, there are few case reports also describing injuries to the saphenous nerve, the common peroneal nerve and the sciatic nerve. The aim of this paper is to review the literature describing uncommon complications after ACL-R, giving some more information about diagnosis and treatment.

Tibial Plateau Fracture Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction with a Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Allograft: A Case Report

CASE

A 36-year-old woman sustained a medial tibial plateau fracture involving a tibial tunnel that had been used 4 years prior for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with a bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) allograft in the same knee. At 26 months following open reduction and internal fixation of the tibial plateau fracture (6 years following the index ACL reconstruction), the patient returned to full activity.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this is the first report of a tibial plateau fracture following ACL reconstruction with a BPTB allograft, which adds to the paucity of literature discussing tibial plateau fractures following ACL reconstruction and discusses the potential predisposing factors to fracture such as ACL graft selection and surgical technique.

Rehabilitation of Tibial Plateau Fracture Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Case Report

Objective

The purpose of this case report was to describe the management of a tibial plateau fracture in a patient who had undergone anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction 3.5 years earlier.

Clinical Features

A 36-year-old man presented with pain and edema following a fall from a height of approximately 2 m while skateboarding. The patient reported having undergone arthroscopic ACL reconstruction with allograft and bioabsorbable screws 3.5 years earlier. Computed tomography scan revealed a comminuted fracture extending through the graft tunnel, as well as evidence of tunnel widening and incomplete bone resorption and generation within the tibial tunnel.

Intervention and Outcome

A trauma surgeon repaired the plateau fracture with internal fixation. The patient was non-weight bearing for 8 weeks while undergoing rehabilitation in a chiropractic clinic (spinal manipulation, physiotherapy, nutritional support) twice per week and returned to full activity within 3 months.

Conclusions

The patient responded favorably to the treatment protocol, which included rehabilitation by a doctor of chiropractic and co-management with a trauma surgeon.

Proximal tibial fracture following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery: a biomechanical analysis of the tibial tunnel as a stress riser

PURPOSE

This is the first biomechanical study to examine the potential stress riser effect of the tibial tunnel or tunnels after ACL reconstruction surgery. In keeping with literature, the primary hypothesis tested in this study was that the tibial tunnel acts as a stress riser for fracture propagation. Secondary hypotheses were that the stress riser effect increases with the size of the tunnel (8 vs. 10 mm), the orientation of the tunnel [standard (STT) vs. modified transtibial (MTT)], and with the number of tunnels (1 vs. 2).

METHODS

Tibial tunnels simulating both single bundle hamstring graft (8 mm) and bone-patellar tendon-bone graft (10 mm) either STT or MTT position, as well as tunnels simulating double bundle (DB) ACL reconstruction (7, 6 mm), were drilled in fourth-generation saw bones. These five experimental groups and a control group consisting of native saw bones without tunnels were loaded to failure on a Materials Testing System to simulate tibial plateau fracture.

RESULTS

There were no statistically significant differences in peak load to failure between any of the groups, including the control group. The fracture occurred through the tibial tunnel in 100 % of the MTT tunnels (8 and 10 mm) and 80 % of the DB tunnels specimens; however, the fractures never (0 %) occurred through the tibial tunnel of the standard tunnels (8 or 10 mm) (P = 0.032).

CONCLUSIONS

In the biomechanical model, the tibial tunnel does not appear to be a stress riser for fracture propagation, despite suggestions to the contrary in the literature. Use of a standard, more vertical tunnel decreases the risk of ACL graft compromise in the event of a fracture. This may help to inform surgical decision making on ACL reconstruction technique.

Fracture of the proximal extremity of the tibia after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: case report

We report a rare condition that has been little described in the literature: a fracture of the proximal extremity of the tibia after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using an autologous patellar bone-tendon graft. In this report, we discuss the factors that predisposed toward this episode, the treatment and the evolution of the case after the surgical treatment.

Bilateral Medial Tibial Plateau Fracture after Arthroscopic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Tibial plateau fractures after arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction are rare, and only isolated cases have been reported. The authors describe a case of bilateral medial tibial plateau fracture following a minor motorcycle accident in a patient who underwent arthroscopic ACL reconstruction in the past. Two years and four months before the accident, the patient underwent an arthroscopically assisted ACL reconstruction using double-bundle technique on his left knee at a hospital. He had the same surgery using single-bundle technique on his right knee about eight months ago at another hospital. The fractures in his both involved knees occurred through the tibial tunnel and required open reduction with internal fixation. At three weeks after fixation, a second-look arthroscopy revealed intact ACLs in both knees. At five months follow-up, he was able to walk without instability on physical examination. Follow-up radiographs of the patient showed callus formations with healed fractures.

Intraoperative Hoffa fracture during primary ACL reconstruction: can hamstring graft and tunnel diameter be too large?

Intraoperative fracture during tunnel placement in primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is rarely reported. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of an intraoperative distal femoral coronal plane (Hoffa) fracture that occurred during independent femoral tunnel drilling and dilation in a primary ACL reconstruction. The patient was treated with open reduction and internal fixation, without compromise of graft stability and with good recovery of function. We discuss the potential ramifications of such a complication in the context of the current emphasis placed on large graft and femoral tunnel sizes.

Tibial plateau fracture after primary anatomic double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a case report

Tibial plateau fracture after primary anatomic double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is rare. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of a tibial plateau fracture after primary anatomic double-bundle ACL reconstruction. In our patient the tibial plateau fracture occurred after a torsional injury to the involved extremity. The fracture occurred 4.5 years after the ACL reconstruction. The fracture was intra-articular Schatzker type IV and had a significant displacement. The patient was treated operatively by open reduction-internal fixation. He recovered well.

Intra-articular distal femur fracture extending from an expanded femoral tunnel in an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructed knee: a case report

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is a popular surgery with overall good results. However, postoperative fracture is a serious, albeit, rare complication. Femoral tunnel lysis may cause a stress riser effect leading to distal femur fractures after ACL reconstruction. We report a case in which a patient who underwent ACL reconstruction surgery 18 months before a low-energy twisting mechanism suffered a distal femur fracture requiring open reduction internal fixation.

Femoral fracture following knee ligament reconstruction surgery due to an unpredictable complication of bioabsorbable screw fixation: a case report and review of literature

We report an unusual case of femoral fracture from minimal trauma, due to the rapid disappearance of a bioabsorbable interference screw used for reconstruction of the posterolateral corner of the knee. The literature on bone tunnel fractures following knee ligament reconstruction surgery is also reviewed.

An unusual periarticular fracture following ipsilateral anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

We report an unusual pattern of a peri and intra-articular knee fracture following ACL reconstruction. The pattern of injury was opposite to the graft tunnels which contradicts the well established iatrogenic stress riser theory which has been extensively described in the literature. The fractures were reduced anatomically by open means, the graft was found intact and preserved and the fractures were fixed internally protecting the graft and the tunnels. The patient made an uneventful recovery and the post operative MRI scan 12 months later demonstrated bone healing and an intact ACL. When the ACL graft is found intact in this type of injury, the fracture should be fixed around it taking care not to jeopardize its integrity or the tunnels.

Proximal tibia fracture after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft: a case report

The optimal operative management of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury continues to be debated. Many complications can occur, but fracture is often not routinely discussed. We present a complex intra-articular tibia fracture in a patient who had an autologous, ipsilateral bone-patellar-bone ACL reconstruction. While still advocating early, aggressive physical therapy, this case reminds us of the inherent susceptibility to injury in the immediate post-operative period.

The double-bundle technique for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a systematic overview

In traditional anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, there is a subset of patients complaining of knee instability, especially rotational instability, and athletes not able to return to their preinjury level of sports activity. Currently, controversy exists over the usefulness of the double bundle technique (DBT) in addressing these problems. In order to evaluate the DBT, we completed a literature review from 1969 to February 2006 focusing on anatomy, magnetic resonance imaging, graft incorporation, biomechanics, kinematics, surgical techniques, complications and outcome. The DBT is not a standardized technique, which makes it difficult to compare results. Cadaver studies have proven biomechanical advantages with respect to ap-stability, but assessing the rotational stability remains difficult. There is a lack of available outcome studies with sufficient follow-up to demonstrate the potential advantages of DBT. The theoretical advantages of DBT require careful evaluation with outcome, biomechanical and kinematic studies. In addition, studies are needed to address issues such as graft incorporation and complications. An advantage offered by DBT is the possibility to identify rupture patterns that can lead to surgical preservation of an intact and augmentation of an injured bundle. The approach of augmentating a single bundle technique reconstruction with adequate anterior-posterior but poor rotational stability is promising.

Tibial plateau fracture following gracilis-semitendinosus anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: The tibial tunnel stress-riser

Tibial plateau fractures following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction are extremely rare. This is the first reported case of a tibial plateau fracture following four-strand gracilis-semitendinosus autograft ACL reconstruction. The tibial tunnel alone may behave as a stress riser which can significantly reduce bone strength.

Tibial plateau fracture after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: Role of the interference screw resorption in the stress riser effect

We report a case of tibial plateau fracture after previous anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using patellar tendon autograft and bioabsorbable screws 4 years previously. The fracture occurred through the tibial tunnel. The interference screw had undergone complete resorption and the tunnel widening had increased. The resorption of the interference screw did not simultaneously promote and foster the growth of surrounding bone tissue. Therefore, the area of reactive tissue left by the screw resorption in an enlarged bone tunnel may lead to vulnerability of the tibial plateau. Stress risers would occur following ACL reconstruction if either resorption is not complete or bony integration is not complete.

Tibial plateau fracture following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

A case is presented of a tibial plateau fracture after previous anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using patellar tendon autograft. The tibial plateau fracture occurred through the transosseous tibial tunnel and followed a torsional injury to the involved extremity. The stress riser effect of the transosseous tibial tunnel and the anatomic location of the cortical defect probably facilitated development of the fracture. Minimally invasive fixation of the fracture was effective in preserving knee stability without need for revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Fracture of the femoral tunnel after an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Fractures after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructive surgery are rare. Patella fractures can occur as a complication after bone-patellar tendon-bone autografts, and few case reports of tibia fractures have been published. Although reports of femur fractures have been published, the causes are attributed to stress risers other than the femoral tunnel. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of a femoral tunnel serving as a stress riser after an ACL reconstruction with bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft. The patient's fracture resulted from minimal trauma and required surgical fixation.