Fixation of a Chondral Fragment of the Knee in an Adult: A Case Report

Acute Cartilage Injury Induced by Trans-Articular Sutures

OBJECTIVE

To determine the extent of acute cartilage injury by using trans-articular sutures.

METHODS

Five different absorbable sutures, monofilament polydioxanone (PDS) and braided polyglactin (Vicryl), were compared on viable human osteochondral explants. An atraumatic needle with 30 cm of thread was advanced through the cartilage with the final thread left in the tissue. A representative 300 μm transversal slice from the cartilage midportion was stained with Live/Dead probes, scanned under the confocal laser microscope, and analyzed for the diameters of (a) central "Black zone" without any cells, representing in situ thread thickness and (b) "Green zone," including the closest Live cells, representing the maximum injury to the tissue. The exact diameters of suture needles and threads were separately measured under an optical microscope.

RESULTS

The diameters of the Black (from 144 to 219 µm) and the Green zones (from 282 to 487 µm) varied between the different sutures (P < 0.001). The Green/Black zone ratio remained relatively constant (from 1.9 to 2.2; P = 0.767). A positive correlation between thread diameters and PDS suturing material, toward the Black and Green zone, was established, but needle diameters did not reveal any influence on the zones.

CONCLUSIONS

The width of acute cartilage injury induced by the trans-articular sutures is about twice the thread thickness inside of the tissue. Less compressible monofilament PDS induced wider tissue injury in comparison to a softer braided Vicryl. Needle diameter did not correlate to the extent of acute cartilage injury.

Osteochondral Peg Fixation for Chondral Fragment of the Knee in Adolescent Patients: A Report of Two Cases

INTRODUCTION

Purely chondral injuries of the knee are relatively rare, and no consensus exists on the appropriate treatment in such cases. We describe two adolescent patients with chondral injury of the knee who were successfully treated by osteochondral peg fixation. Patients, Concerns, and Clinical Findings. In case 1, a 14-year-old boy presented with complaints of right knee pain after landing on his leg while playing basketball. Radiography and computerized tomography revealed no abnormalities. However, magnetic resonance imaging revealed a chondral defect in his lateral femoral condyle and a loose chondral fragment measuring 6.5 cm2. In case 2, a 12-year-old boy presented with complaints of left knee pain after a rotational injury while playing baseball. Similar to case 1, magnetic resonance imaging revealed a chondral defect in his lateral femoral condyle and a loose chondral fragment measuring 3.0 cm2. Primary Diagnosis, Interventions, and Outcomes. The two patients were treated by surgical fixation using osteochondral pegs, which were harvested from the femoral condyle. After a year, postoperative computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed union of the chondral fragment with the osteochondral pegs and surrounding tissue. In both cases, the Lysholm score was 100 points at the final follow-up more than 2 years after surgery.

CONCLUSION

The findings reported herein suggest that osteochondral peg fixation is a feasible treatment option for chondral injury of the knee, with satisfactory outcomes.