Comparison of 2 Surgical Techniques of Posterolateral Corner Reconstruction of the Knee

2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (12) ◽  
pp. 1838-1845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Nau ◽  
Yan Chevalier ◽  
Nicola Hagemeister ◽  
Jacques A. deGuise ◽  
Nicolas Duval

Background Various surgical techniques to treat posterolateral knee instability have been described. To date, the recommended treatment is an anatomical form of reconstruction, in which the 3 key structures of the posterolateral corner are addressed: the lateral collateral ligament, the popliteofibular ligament, and the popliteus tendon. Hypothesis Two methods of surgical reconstruction will restore posterolateral knee instability, in terms of static laxity as well as dynamic 6 degrees of freedom kinematics, to statistically significant levels compared with the intact state. Study Design Controlled laboratory study. Methods Two surgical techniques (A and B) were used to reconstruct the posterolateral structures in 10 cadaveric knees. Static tests were performed on the intact, sectioned, and reconstructed knees at 30° and 90° of flexion for anterior-posterior laxity and external rotational laxity, as well as at 0° and 30° of flexion for varus laxity; dynamic 6 degrees of freedom kinematic testing, through a path of motion from 90° of flexion to full extension, was also performed. Results For the static varus tests, external rotation and varus laxity were significantly increased after the posterolateral structures were cut. Both reconstruction techniques restored external rotation and varus laxity to levels not significantly different from the intact state. For technique B, dynamic testing did not show any significant difference for all degrees of freedom kinematics compared with the intact state. However, for technique A, a significant internal tibial rotation was observed throughout the entire path of motion from 0° to 90° of knee flexion. Conclusions Both surgical techniques for anatomical posterolateral corner reconstruction showed good results in the static laxity tests. The anatomical reconstruction of all structures, including the popliteus tendon, resulted in an abnormal internal tibial rotation during dynamic testing.

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (4_suppl4) ◽  
pp. 2325967117S0013
Author(s):  
Tobias Drenck ◽  
Christoph Domnick ◽  
Mirco Herbort ◽  
Michael Raschke ◽  
Karl-Heinz Frosch

Aims and Objectives: The posterolateral corner of the knee consists of different structures, which contribute to instability when damaged after injury or within surgery. Knowing the kinematic influences may help to improve clinical diagnostics and surgical techniques. The purpose was to determine static stabilizing effects of the posterolateral corner by dissecting stepwise all fibers and ligaments (the arcuat complex, AC) connected with the popliteus tendon (PLT) and the influence on lateral stability in the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) intact-state. Materials ans Methods: Kinematics were examined in 13 fresh-frozen human cadaveric knees using a robotic/UFS testing system with an optical tracking system. The knee kinematics were determined for 134 N anterior/posterior loads, 10 Nm valgus/varus loads and 5 Nm internal/external rotational loads in 0°, 20°, 30°, 60° and 90° of knee flexion. The posterolateral corner structures were consecutively dissected: The I.) intact knee joint, II.) with dissected posterior cruciate ligament, III.) meniscofibular/-tibial fibers, IV.) popliteofibular ligament, V.) popliteotibial fascicle (last structure of static AC), VI.) PLT and VII.) LCL. Results: The external rotation angle increased significantly by 2.6° to 7.9° (P<.05) in 0° to 90° of knee flexion and posterior tibial translation increased by 2.9 mm to 5.9 mm in 20° to 90° of knee flexion (P<.05) after cutting the AC/PLT structures (with intact LCL) in contrast to the PCL deficient knee. Differences between dissected static AC and dissected PLT were only found in 60° and 90° external rotation tests (by 2.1° and 3.1°; P<.05). In the other 28 kinematic tests, no significant differences between PLT and AC were found. Cutting the AC/PLT complex did not further decrease varus, valgus or anterior tibial stability in any flexion angle in comparison to the PCL dissected state. Conclusion: The arcuat complex is an important static stabilizer for external rotatory and posterior tibial loads of the knee, even in the lateral collateral ligament intact-state. After dissecting the major parts of the arcuat complex, the static stabilizing function of the popliteus tendon is lost. The arcuat complex has no varus-stabilizing function in the LCL-intact knee. The anatomy and function of these structures for external-rotational and posterior-translational stabilization should be considered for clinical diagnostics and when performing surgery in the posterolateral corner.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (7_suppl4) ◽  
pp. 2325967118S0006
Author(s):  
Gilbert Moatshe ◽  
Jorge Chahla ◽  
Alex Brady ◽  
Grant Dornan ◽  
Kyle Muckenhirn ◽  
...  

Objectives: During a multiple knee ligament reconstruction, the graft tensioning order may influence the final tibiofemoral orientation and corresponding knee kinematics. Therefore, the objective of this study was to biomechanically evaluate the effect of different graft tensioning sequences on knee tibiofemoral orientation following multiple knee ligament reconstruction in a bicruciate ligament (anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] and posterior cruciate ligament [PCL]) with posterolateral corner [PLC] injured knee. Methods: Ten non-paired, fresh-frozen human cadaveric knees were utilized for this study. Following reconstruction of both cruciate and posterolateral corner ligaments and proximal graft fixation, each knee was randomly assigned to each of four graft tensioning order groups: (1) PCL → ACL → PLC, (2) PCL → PLC → ACL, (3) PLC → ACL → PCL and (4) ACL → PCL → PLC. The tibiofemoral orientation after graft tensioning was measured and compared to the intact states. Results: Tensioning the ACL first (tensioning order 4) resulted in posterior displacement of the tibia at 0° by 1.7 ± 1.3 mm compared to the intact state (p=0.002) (Figure 1). All tensioning orders resulted in significantly increased anterior tibial translation compared to the intact state at higher flexion angles ranging from 2.7 mm to 3.2 mm at 60° and 3.1 mm to 3.4 mm at 90° for tensioning orders 1 and 2 respectively (all p<0.001). There was no significant difference in tibiofemoral orientation in the sagittal plane between the tensioning orders at higher flexion angles. All tensioning orders resulted in increased internal tibial rotation (all p<0.001). Tensioning and fixing the PLC first (tensioning order 3) resulted in the most increases in internal rotation of the tibia; 2.4° ± 1.9°, 2.7° ± 1.8° and 2.0° ± 2.0° at 0°, 30° and 60° respectively (Table 1). Conclusion: None of the tensioning orders restored intact knee tibiofemoral orientation. Tensioning the posterolateral corner first should be avoided in bicruciate knee ligament reconstruction with a concurrent posterolateral corner reconstruction because it significantly increased tibial internal rotation. We recommend that the PCL be tensioned first, followed by the ACL to avoid posterior translation of the tibia in extension where the knee is primarily loaded with most activities and finally the PLC. [Figure: see text][Table: see text]


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2_suppl2) ◽  
pp. 2325967117S0007
Author(s):  
Gökay Görmeli ◽  
Cemile Ayşe Görmeli ◽  
Nurzat Elmalı ◽  
Mustafa Karakaplan ◽  
Kadir Ertem ◽  
...  

Introduction: Injuries of the posterolateral corner (PLC) of the knee are rare. They are difficult to diagnose and can cause severe disability. This study presents the 20- to 70-month clinical and radiological outcomes of the anatomical reconstruction technique of LaPrade et al. Materials and methods Twenty-one patients with chronic PLC injuries underwent anatomical PLC reconstruction. The anatomical locations of the popliteus tendon, fibular collateral ligament, and popliteofibular ligament were reconstructed using a 2-graft technique. The patients were evaluated subjectively with the Tegner, Lysholm, and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective knee scores and objectively with the IKDC objective scores; additionally, varus stress radiographs were taken to evaluate knee stability. Results: Significant (p\0.05) improvements were observed in the postoperative Lysholm, IKDC-s, and Tegner scores compared with preoperatively. The IKDC objective subscores (lateral joint opening at 20_______________of knee extension, external rotation at 30_______________and 90_______________, and the reverse pivot-shift test) had improved significantly at the time of the final 40.9 ± 13.7-month follow-up.Lateralcompartment opening on the varus stress radiographs had decreased significantly in the postoperative period. However, there was still a significant difference compared with the uninjured knee. There was no significant improvement in the IKDC-s, Lysholm, or Tegner scores between the nine patients with isolated PLC injuries and twelve with multiligament injuries. Conclusions: Significant improvement in the objective knee stability scores and clinical outcomes with anatomical reconstruction showed that this technique can be used to treat patients with chronic PLC injured knees. However, longer-term multicentre studies and studies with larger groups comparing multiple techniques are required to determine the best treatment method for PLC injuries.


2005 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 224-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Marqueen ◽  
John Owen ◽  
Gregg Nicandri ◽  
Jennifer Wayne ◽  
James Carr

Background: Controversy still exists about treatment of syndesmotic injuries. This study compared the fixation strengths and biomechanical characteristics of two types of ankle fracture syndesmotic fixation devices: the barbed, round staple and the 4.5-mm cortical screw. Methods: Cadaveric testing was done on 21 fresh-frozen knee disarticulation specimens in biaxial servohydraulic Instron testing equipment. Submaximal torsional loads were applied to specimens in intact and Weber C bimalleolar fracture states. The specimens were then fixed with one of two techniques and again subjected to submaximal torsion and torsion to failure. Biomechanical parameters measured included tibiofibular translation and rotation, maximal torque to failure, and degrees of rotation at failure. Results: Compared to the intact state before testing, the staple held the fibula in a more anatomic position than the screw for mediolateral and anterior displacements (p < 0.01). With submaximal torsional testing, the staple restored 85% of the tibiofibular external rotation and all of the posterior translation values as compared to the intact state. The screw resulted in 203% more tibiofibular medial translation and 115% more external rotation than the intact state. The degree of tibial rotation during submaximal torsional loading was restored to within 15% of intact values but was 21% less with the screw. There was no statistical difference between the screw and staple when tested in load to failure. Tibio-talar rotation at failure was statistically different with the staple construct, allowing more rotation as compared to the screw. Conclusion: The staple restored a more physiologic position of the fibula compared to the syndesmotic screw. Both provided similar performance for the load to failure testing, while the screw reduced tibial rotation more after cyclic loading. There was more tibial rotation before failure for the staple, suggesting a more elastic construct. This study provides biomechanical data to support the clinical use of the syndesmotic staple.


2020 ◽  
Vol 140 (12) ◽  
pp. 2003-2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Weiss ◽  
Matthias Krause ◽  
Karl-Heinz Frosch

Abstract Introduction Injuries of the posterolateral corner (PLC) of the knee lead to chronic lateral and external rotational instability and are often associated with PCL injuries. Numerous surgical techniques for repair and reconstruction of the PLC are established. Recently, several arthroscopic techniques have been published in order to address different degrees of PLC injuries through reconstruction of one or more functional structures. The purpose of this systematic review is to give an overview about arthroscopic techniques of posterolateral corner reconstructions and to evaluate their safeness. Materials and methods A systematic review of the literature on arthroscopic reconstructions of the posterolateral corner of the knee according to the PRISMA guidelines was performed using PubMed MEDLINE and Web of Science Databases on June 15th, 2020. Inclusion criteria were descriptions of surgical techniques to reconstruct different aspects of the posterolateral corner either strictly arthroscopically or minimally-invasive with an arthroscopic assistance. Results Arthroscopic techniques differ with regard to the extent of reconstructed units (popliteus tendon, popliteofibular ligament, lateral collateral ligament), surgical approach (transseptal, lateral) and biomechanical results (anatomic vs. non-anatomic reconstruction, restoration of rotational instability and/or lateral instability). Conclusion Different approaches to arthroscopic PLC reconstruction are presented, yet clinical results are scarce. Up to now good and excellent clinical results are reported. No major complications are reported in the literature so far.


2007 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 1117-1122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith L. Markolf ◽  
Benjamin R. Graves ◽  
Susan M. Sigward ◽  
Steven R. Jackson ◽  
David R. McAllister

Background With grade 3 posterolateral injuries of the knee, reconstructions of the lateral collateral ligament, popliteus tendon, and popliteofibular ligament are commonly performed in conjunction with a posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction to restore knee stability. Hypothesis A lateral collateral ligament reconstruction, alone or with a popliteus tendon or popliteofibular ligament reconstruction, will produce normal varus rotation patterns and restore posterior cruciate ligament graft forces to normal levels in response to an applied varus moment. Study Design Controlled laboratory study. Methods Forces in the native posterior cruciate ligament were recorded for 15 intact knees during passive extension from 120° to 0° with an applied 5 N·m varus moment. The posterior cruciate ligament was removed and reconstructed with a single bundle inlay graft tensioned to restore intact knee laxity at 90°. Posterior cruciate ligament graft force, varus rotation, and tibial rotation were recorded before and after a grade 3 posterolateral corner injury. Testing was repeated with lateral collateral ligament, lateral collateral ligament plus popliteus tendon, and lateral collateral ligament plus popliteofibular ligament graft reconstructions; all grafts were tensioned to 30 N at 30° with the tibia locked in neutral rotation. Results All 3 posterolateral graft combinations rotated the tibia into slight valgus as the knee was taken through a passive range of motion. During the varus test, popliteus tendon and popliteofibular ligament reconstructions internally rotated the tibia from 1.5° (0° flexion) to approximately 12° (45° flexion). With an applied varus moment, mean varus rotations with a lateral collateral ligament graft were significantly less than those with the intact lateral collateral ligament beyond 0° flexion; mean decreases ranged from 0.8° (at 5° flexion) to 5.6° (at 120° flexion). Addition of a popliteus tendon or popliteofibular ligament graft further reduced varus rotation (compared with a lateral collateral ligament graft) beyond 25° of flexion; both grafts had equal effects. A lateral collateral ligament reconstruction alone restored posterior cruciate ligament graft forces to normal levels between 0° and 100° of flexion; lateral collateral ligament plus popliteus tendon and lateral collateral ligament plus popliteofibular ligament reconstructions reduced posterior cruciate ligament graft forces to below-normal levels—beyond 95° and 85° of flexion, respectively. Conclusions With a grade 3 posterolateral corner injury, popliteus tendon or popliteofibular ligament reconstructions are commonly performed to limit external tibial rotation; we found that they also limited varus rotation. With the graft tensioning protocols used in this study, all posterolateral graft combinations tested overconstrained varus rotation. Further studies with posterolateral reconstructions are required to better restore normal kinematics and provide more optimum load sharing between the PCL graft and posterolateral grafts. Clinical Relevance A lower level of posterolateral graft tension, perhaps applied at a different flexion angle, may be indicated to better restore normal varus stability. The clinical implications of overconstraining varus rotation are unknown.


2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 360-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon K. Sekiya ◽  
Marcus J. Haemmerle ◽  
Kathryne J. Stabile ◽  
Tracy M. Vogrin ◽  
Christopher D. Harner

Background Failure to address both components of a combined posterior cruciate ligament and posterolateral corner injury has been implicated as a reason for abnormal biomechanics and inferior clinical results. Hypothesis Combined double-bundle posterior cruciate ligament and posterolateral corner reconstruction restores the kinematics and in situ forces of the intact knee ligaments. Study Design Controlled laboratory study Methods Ten fresh-frozen human cadaveric knees were tested using a robotic testing system through sequential cutting and reconstructing of the posterior cruciate ligament and posterolateral corner. The knees were subjected to a 134-N posterior tibial load and a 5-N.m external tibial torque at multiple flexion angles. The double-bundle posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction was performed using Achilles and semitendinosus tendons. The posterolateral corner reconstruction consisted of reattaching the popliteus tendon to its femoral origin and reconstructing the popliteofibular ligament with a gracilis tendon. Results Under the posterior load, the combined reconstruction reduced posterior translation to within 1.2 - 1.5 mm of the intact knee. The in situ forces in the posterior cruciate ligament grafts were significantly less than those in the native posterior cruciate ligament at all angles except full extension. Conversely, the forces in the posterolateral corner grafts were significantly higher than those in the native structures at all angles. Under the external torque with the combined reconstruction, external rotation as well as in situ forces in the posterior cruciate ligament and posterolateral corner grafts were not different from the intact knee. Conclusions A combined posterior cruciate ligament and posterolateral corner reconstruction can restore intact knee kinematics at time zero. In situ forces in the intact posterior cruciate ligament and posterolateral corner were not reproduced by the reconstruction; however, the posterolateral corner reconstruction reduced the loads experienced by the posterior cruciate ligament grafts. Clinical Relevance By addressing both structures of this combined injury, this technique restores native kinematics under the applied loads at fixed flexion angles and demonstrates load sharing among the grafts creating a potentially protective effect against early failure of the posterior cruciate ligament grafts but with increased force in the posterolateral corner construct.


2002 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 796-799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred A. Wentorf ◽  
Robert F. LaPrade ◽  
Jack L. Lewis ◽  
Scott Resig

Background The effect of injury to the posterolateral structures of the knee on the success of an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is not well known. Hypothesis Increasing graft tension increases the amount of external rotation of the tibia if the posterolateral structures are deficient. Study Design Laboratory study. Methods Eight cadaveric knees underwent techniques similar to a clinical reconstruction except that the distal fixation on the tibia was an external tensioning device used to apply a traction force on the graft. The knee was secured in a joint-testing machine and an instrumented spatial linkage was used to measure the motion of the tibia with respect to the femur. Measurements were taken with forces increasing from 0 to 100 N. The fibular collateral ligament, popliteofibular ligament, and the popliteus tendon were individually cut sequentially, and differences in the relative position of the tibia with respect to the femur were compared with the intact baseline. Results External rotation increased significantly when all of the posterolateral structures were cut and 60, 80, or 100 N of distal traction was applied. Conclusions Deficiency of posterolateral structures of the knee significantly affected the relative external rotation of the tibia. Clinical Relevance Injured posterolateral structures should be repaired before fixation of anterior cruciate ligament grafts.


Author(s):  
Min-Joo Ko ◽  
Jae-Seop Oh ◽  
Duk-Hyun An ◽  
Won-Gyu Yoo ◽  
Kyung-Hee Noh ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND: The medial hamstring (MH) and lateral hamstring (LH) can be selectively trained through tibial internal and external rotation during prone knee flexion. However, no study has identified how a combined tibial rotation and lumbo-pelvic stability strategy influences MH and LH muscle activities. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the combined effects of tibial rotation and the abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM) on MH and LH muscle activities as well as pelvic rotation during prone knee flexion. METHODS: Fifteen female volunteers performed prone knee flexion with tibial internal and external rotation, with and without the ADIM. Under each condition, MH and LH muscle activities were measured by surface electromyography (EMG), and the pelvic rotation angle by a smartphone inclinometer application. RESULTS: The results showed increased MH (without the ADIM: p< 0.001, effect size (d) = 2.05; with the ADIM: p< 0.001, d= 1.71) and LH (without the ADIM: p< 0.001, d= 1.64; with the ADIM: p= 0.001, d= 1.58) muscle activities under internal and external tibial rotation, respectively. However, addition of the ADIM led to increased MH (internal tibial rotation: p= 0.001, d= 0.67; external tibial rotation: p= 0.019, d= 0.45) and LH (internal tibial rotation: p= 0.003, d= 0.79; external tibial rotation: p< 0.001, d= 1.05) muscle activities combined with reduced pelvic rotation (internal tibial rotation: p< 0.001, d= 3.45; external tibial rotation: p< 0.001, d= 3.01) during prone knee flexion. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the ADIM could be useful for reducing compensatory pelvic rotation and enhancing selective muscle activation in the MH and LH, according to the direction of tibial rotation, during prone knee flexion.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 667-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroaki Shoji ◽  
Atsushi Teramoto ◽  
Yuzuru Sakakibara ◽  
Tomoaki Kamiya ◽  
Kota Watanabe ◽  
...  

Background: Although it is crucial to accurately identify the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) attachment site, it may not be feasible to fully observe the ATFL attachment site during arthroscopic surgery. As a result, the repair position might often be an unintentionally nonanatomic ATFL attachment site. Hypothesis: Anatomic ATFL repair restores kinematics and laxity to the ankle joint, while nonanatomic ATFL repair does not. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Seven normal fresh-frozen human cadaveric ankles were used. The ankles were tested with a 6 degrees of freedom robotic system. The following ankle states were evaluated: intact, ATFL injured, ATFL anatomic repair, and ATFL nonanatomic repair. The ATFL nonanatomic repair position was set 8 mm proximal from the center of the ATFL attachment site of the fibula. For each state, a passive plantarflexion (PF)–dorsiflexion (DF) kinematics test and a multidirectional loading test (anterior forces, inversion moment, and internal rotation moment) were performed. Results: The kinematics and laxity of the anatomic repair were not significantly different from those of the intact state. In nonanatomic repair, the inversion-eversion angle showed significant inversion (3.0°-3.4°) from 5° to 15° of DF, and the internal rotation–external rotation angle showed significant internal rotation (2.0°) at neutral PF-DF versus the intact state. In addition, internal rotation laxity was significantly increased (5.5°-5.8°) relative to the intact state in the nonanatomic repair at 30° and 15° of PF. There were no significant differences in anterior-posterior translation between the repairs. Conclusion: Although the anatomic ATFL repair state did not show significant differences in kinematics and laxity relative to the intact state, the nonanatomic ATFL repair state demonstrated significant inversion and internal rotation kinematics and internal rotation laxity when compared with the intact state. Clinical Relevance: Nonanatomic repair alters kinematics and laxity from the intact condition.


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