Ipsilateral chondral lesions worsen the long-term prognosis following arthroscopic partial medial meniscectomy

PURPOSE

The effect of knee cartilage defects that are detected during partial meniscectomy remains controversial in terms of the long-term prognosis on knee function. This study aimed to investigate the effect of concurrent medial compartment focal cartilage lesions on the long-term prognosis of knee function in patients who underwent arthroscopic partial medial meniscectomy for traumatic medial meniscal tears.

METHODS

This retrospective study analyzed 46 patients who underwent arthroscopic partial medial meniscectomy between 1991 and 2008 by a single surgeon. Twenty-one patients who underwent arthroscopic partial medial meniscectomy due to traumatic meniscal tear had focal chondral lesions only at the medial compartment, and these patients were assigned to group A. Twenty-five patients who had no cartilage lesions in any compartments were assigned to group B. The age, sex, body mass index (BMI), follow-up time, age at the time of surgery, clinical and radiological scores, and perioperative arthroscopy findings were analyzed.

RESULTS

The mean follow-up time was 20 ± 3.7 years. No significant difference was found in the demographic data, and the average age of the patients at the time of operation was 35 ± 9.5 years. Both groups had improved Lysholm score at the last follow-up. Although no difference was found between the groups during the preoperative period, group B had a higher Lysholm score at the last follow-up than group A. The mean International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) scores at the last follow-up were significantly higher in group B. The mean Kellgren-Lawrence grades in the operated knees of group A were higher than those of group B. In group A, a negative correlation was found between the BMI and postoperative Lysholm (r =  - 0.461, p = 0.03) IKDC (r =  - 0.433, p = 0.05) and KOOS (r =  - 0.565, p = 0.008) scores. In group B, no correlation was found between BMI and any score.

CONCLUSION

Among patients who underwent arthroscopic partial medial meniscectomy with an average follow-up of 20 years, those with concurrent focal cartilage defect in the medial compartment had clinically and radiologically worse outcomes than patients without any cartilage defect. Therefore, orthopedic surgeons should be meticulous before performing any arthroscopic partial medial meniscectomy in case of concurrent cartilage lesion.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III.

Bony landmarks, distances and their correlations to each other, which can be used during periacetabular osteotomy: a CT study performed on dysplastic hips

As a surgical technique for hip dysplasia, Bernese periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) still poses technical difficulties and unclear surgical steps like the depth of the first ‘ischial’ cut, the start of the iliac cut and the width of the retroacetabular cut to prevent either iatrogenic joint entrance or posterior column fracture. Twenty-seven dysplastic hips (CE < 25°) were randomly matched with nondysplastic hips (n: 27, CE > 25°). 3D CT sections of the hips were evaluated and the width of the ischium, the distance from the infra-acetabular groove to the ischial spine, from the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) to the joint or sciatic notch or the sciatic spine, from the most medial point at the acetabulum to the posterior column, ischial spine or sciatic notch were measured for each group and correlated. The distances (mm) from the infra-acetabular groove to the ischial spine (42 ± 4, 44 ± 4, P: 0.03), the anterior superior iliac spine to the joint (52 ± 6, 60 ± 3, P: 0.03), the most medial point at the acetabulum to the posterior column (34 ± 2, 36 ± 2, P: 0.005) were shorter in the dysplastic group. The distance from the ASIS to the sciatic notch was correlated with the distance from the infra-acetabular groove to the ischial spine, from the ASIS to the joint and the most medial point at the acetabulum to the posterior column. The distance from the ASIS to the sciatic notch can be used intraoperatively to guess the X-ray guided or blindly osteotomized stages to predict the width or depth of the osteotomy to prevent intraarticular extension or posterior column fracture.

Scapular spine base fracture with long outside-in superior or posterior screws with reverse shoulder arthroplasty

Background

The purpose of the present study was to determine how long superior screws alone or in combination with posterior placement of metaglene screws protruding and penetrating into the scapular spine in reverse total shoulder arthroplasty affect the strength of the scapular spine in a fresh cadaveric scapular model.

Methods

Seven fresh cadaver scapulas were allocated to the control group (short posterior and superior screws) and seven scapulars to the study group (spine base fixation with a four long screws, three with both long superior and long posterior screws).

Results

The failure load was lower in the spine fixation group (long screw, 869 N vs. short screw, 1,123 N); however, this difference did not reach statistical significance (p>0.05). All outside-in long superior or superior plus posterior screws failed due to scapular spine base fracture; failures in the short screw group were due to acromion fracture. An additional posterior outside-in screw failed to significantly decrease the failure load of the acromion spine.

Conclusions

The present study highlights the significance of preventing a cortical breach or an outside-in configuration when a superior or posterior screw is inserted into the scapular spine base.

Autologous free iliac crest bone grafting of glenoid through the rotator interval using double-barrelled cannula

PURPOSE

The primary aim of this study is to prove that reconstructing the anterior glenoid defect with iliac crest graft arthroscopically using double-barrelled cannula through the rotator interval is safe and prevents both recurrence of instability and the neurovascular injury because subscapularis muscle is not split and procedure is far away from important structures.

METHODS

Thirteen patients with anterior shoulder instability and engaging Hill-Sachs lesion were reviewed after arthroscopic reconstruction of the anterior glenoid with iliac crest autogenous graft. Patient satisfaction and Western Ontario İnstability Score (WOSI) were evaluated on clinical examination. Computed tomography was used to analyse graft position on sagittal and axial planes.

RESULTS

The mean follow-up was 28.7 months (SD 7.1), and age at surgery was 31 years (21 to 64 years). Post-operatively there was only one dislocation due to trauma. There was statistically significant improvement of WOSI scores (p: 0.001). There was not any neurological injury. Graft position on the axial plane was described as flush in 5 cases (41%), lateral in 2 (16%), too lateral in one (8%) and medial in 4 of the cases (33%). Graft position could be accepted as high in only three patients (23%).

CONCLUSION

Arthroscopic reconstruction of glenoid defect using autogenous iliac bone graft, through rotator interval, without splitting subscapularis is safe and effective without any neurological injury, producing substantial graft position and good functional outcomes in patients.