ACL Repair of Femoral Osseous Avulsion in a 13-Year-Old Using Suture Pullout Technique

Background: The incidence of pediatric anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries has been increasing over the past 20 years, with the majority comprised of mid substance tears or tibial eminence avulsion fractures. Pediatric femoral sided osseous avulsion is rarely reported in orthopedic literature and specific surgical indications and contraindications, as well as recommended surgical techniques and postoperative rehabilitation protocols, are underdefined. Indications: The surgical indications for femoral-sided repair of ACL osseous avulsion includes a displaced osseous fragment and ligamentous laxity on physical examination. There was no concomitant midsubstance tear necessitating reconstruction. Technique Description: Two sutures piercing the proximal ligamentous bony junction of the ACL were fed through 2.4-mm transphyseal tunnels and secured with cortical button and backup fixation with a 3.9-mm swivel lock anchor in the proximal lateral femoral metaphysis. The patient was immobilized in a hinged-knee brace locked in extension during ambulation and limited to 90 degrees of flexion while nonweightbearing for the first 6 weeks after surgery. Standard ACL protocol was followed thereafter. Results: Successful fixation and restoration of ligamentous tension and impingement-free range of motion were achieved without complication. There was stable Lachman, negative pivot shift, 125 degrees of knee flexion, and evidence of early healing at 3 months follow-up. Discussion/Conclusion: This report demonstrates successful reduction and fixation of proximal bony avulsion of the ACL. Although this patient exhibits stable physical examination and undisturbed growth at early follow-up, more research is required to establish treatment and rehabilitation guidelines for this rare injury.

Arthroscopic Repair of the Dorsal Intercarpal Ligament Detachment from the Scaphoid

Background The dorsal intercarpal ligament, whose role in dorsal stability of the wrist has been shown, can be harmed in case of injury to the dorsal scapholunate complex. However, dorsal intercarpal ligament injury also seems to exist isolated posttraumatic forms of dorsal intercarpal ligament rupture, much rarer, through bony avulsion on its scaphoid insertion. The authors report the first description of this lesion, and propose a technique for arthroscopic repair. Description of Technique Radiocarpal arthroscopy will confirm the bony avulsion of the dorsal intercarpal ligament from the scaphoid. Under arthroscopic control, an anchor can be placed into the dorsal aspect of the scaphoid and the ligament can be reattached along with the dorsal capsule. Patients and Methods Between 2018 and 2020, seven patients underwent arthroscopic repair of this particular injury. They presented a painful preoperative wrist with decreased range of motion, and were treated arthroscopically, with anchored reinsertion of the ligament on the scaphoid. Results After a mean follow-up period of 12 months, arthroscopic repair showed decreased pain (6.7 to 0.2), improved range of motion in flexion (66 to 82 degrees) and extension (57 to 87 degrees°), and improved Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score (68.45 to 2.23). Conclusions This lesion has so far never been reported in the literature, and seems mechanically different from more common injuries of the scapholunate complex and dorsal capsulo-scapholunate septum with which dorsal intercarpal ligament ruptures are frequently associated. Arthroscopic repair with an anchor is possible without difficulty and seems to give very good results at 1-year follow-up (normal strength and range of motion).

MR imaging of the quadriceps femoris tendon: distal tear characterization and clinical significance of rupture types

Objective To characterize quadriceps femoris tendon tears on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging regarding tear extent, location, and presence of bony avulsion. Materials and methods IRB approval was obtained and informed consent was waived for this retrospective case series. Electronic medical records from all patients in our hospital system were searched for keywords: knee MR imaging, and quadriceps tendon rupture or tear. MRI studies were randomized and independently evaluated by two fellowship-trained musculoskeletal radiologists. MR imaging was used to characterize each individual quadriceps tendon as having tendinosis, tear (location, partial versus complete, size, and retraction distance), and bony avulsion. Knee radiographs were reviewed for presence or absence of bony avulsion. Descriptive statistics and inter-reader reliability (Cohen’s Kappa and Wilcoxon-signed-rank test) were calculated. Results Fifty-two patients with 53 quadriceps tears were evaluated (45 males, 7 females; mean age: 51 ± 13 years). The vastus intermedius (VI) tendon more often incurred a partial rather than a complete tear (39.6% vs. 37.7%), while the rectus femoris (RF), vastus medialis (VM), and vastus lateralis (VL) incurred complete tears more commonly (64.2–66%). Subjects with bony avulsion on radiographs had higher-grade tears of the RF, VM, and VL tears (p = 0.020–0.043) but not the VI. Most tendons tore at or immediately proximal to the patella (84.8–93.6%). Gaps in retracted torn tendons measured between 2.3 and 2.7 cm. Inter-reader reliability was substantial to almost perfect (κ = 0.624–0.953). Conclusion Quadriceps femoris tendon tears most commonly involve the RF or VL/VM layers usually in proximity to the patella. A bony avulsion correlates with a more extensive tear. Key Points • Quadriceps femoris tendon tears most commonly involve the rectus femoris or vastus lateralis/vastus medialis layers. • A rupture of the quadriceps femoris tendon usually occurs in proximity to the patella. • A bony avulsion of the patella correlates with a more extensive tear of the superficial and middle layers of the quadriceps tendon.

A Bony Mallet Thumb with Interposition of the Nail Plate

Thumb extensor injuries and bony avulsion in the distal phalanx of the thumb are rare compared with other fingers. The most reported complications are infection, nail deformity, joint incongruity, implant failure, recurrent flexion deformity, and residual pain. This report presents a case of 30-year-old man suffering from an injury in the left thumb distal phalanx with a displaced comminuted intra-articular fracture of the distal phalanx of the left thumb. The nail plate was interposed between the dorsal and palmar fragments. The interposition of the nail plate in the bony mallet thumb has not been described before. Surgical treatment and fixation with a 2-mm miniscrew resulted in successful treatment. Clinical suspicion of this complication is of great importance and can affect treatment outcomes.

Die pediatrische vordere Kreuzbandläsion – Eminetia intercondylaris-Fraktur

Ligamentous structures are more robust than bone. Therefore, avulsion fractures are more common in children. This principle is seen in bony avulsion fractures of the anterior cruciate ligament in children. Diagnostics include conventional radiographs as well as an MRI to evaluate further intra-articular injuries. The fracture rarely occurs; however, it usually requires arthroscopically assisted reduction and fixation. The indication is given if at least a grade II fracture is evident radiologically. The injury, as well as the surgical procedure, carries the risk of growth damage and arthrofibrosis.

Misdiagnosed cartilaginous PCL avulsion in young children

Posterior Cruciate Ligaments injuries are rare in children and usually due to bony avulsion fractures or midsubstance tears. This study focused on cartilaginous avulsions initially misdiagnosed despite of MRI assessment. Two 6-year-old boys had cartilaginous avulsion fracture injury at the femoral attachment of the PCL. One had associated medial meniscal lesion and was reinserted. The other conducted to non-union. MRI second lecture reveals an original description with nail-biting sign on cartilage surface of anterior notch, and a close PCL angle without anterior tibial translation. No bone bruise was associated. Similarly, to ACL cartilaginous tibial avulsions, PCL cartilaginous femoral avulsions are underdiagnosed. When knee hemarthrosis occurs under the age of nine, clinician and radiologist should be aware that cartilaginous avulsion of ACL and PCL also could be the main pattern of lesion.

Cyclops Lesions of the Knee: A Narrative Review of the Literature

Cyclops lesion is a known complication of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Although the incidence of cyclops lesion appears to be decreasing, it remains an important cause of restriction of extension after ACLR. We reviewed the available literature regarding the cyclops lesion and syndrome and cyclops-like lesions to analyze available evidence on cyclops lesions and variants of cyclops lesions. A keyword search in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EMBASE, Ovid Medline, and Ovid journals provided 47 relevant articles in the English literature, which were used to create this review. We classified cyclops lesions based on clinical presentation, pathology, and location. Risk factors, management options, tips to reduce the condition, and controversies related to the condition have been discussed. Female sex, greater graft volume, bony avulsion injuries, excessively anterior tibial tunnel, double-bundle ACLR, and bicruciate-retaining arthroplasty appear to predispose patients to cyclops lesions. Cyclops syndrome is a cyclops lesion that causes a loss of terminal extension. Arthroscopic debridement is an effective treatment for cyclops syndrome, whereas cyclops lesions are usually managed conservatively. It is important to distinguish between cyclops lesion and cyclops syndrome, as management differs based on symptoms. Cyclops lesion is diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging. The management of choice for symptomatic lesions is surgical excision. Outcomes after excision are very good, and recurrence is rare.

A New Coracoclavicular Guider for Minimally Invasive Anatomic Coracoclavicular Reconstruction with Two TightRope Systems in Acute Acromioclavicular Joint Dislocation

High-grade injuries of complete acromioclavicular (AC) joint disruption (types IV - VI) are typically treated surgically. Since the coracoclavicular (CC) ligament is most often used for stabilizing the AC joint, most reconstruction techniques to treat dislocation of this joint rely upon CC interval fixation. A TightRope system is usually used to augment the CC ligament to treat acute AC dislocations with arthroscopic assistance. The conventional arthroscopic technique employing one TightRope system is associated with some complications, including anterior subluxation of the clavicle and clavicular bony avulsion as a consequence of rotational movements. As an alternative, two TightRope systems can be used to anatomically reconstruct the CC ligament to avoid these complications. We present a new CC guider with which the surgeon can replicate the native CC ligament complex orientation using two TightRope systems via two minimally invasive incisions without arthroscopic assistance. This procedure relies upon the accommodation and stable placement of the clavicle and coracoid bone tunnels for the two TightRope systems in place of the trapezoid and conoid of the CC ligament. We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes for 16 patients with acute dislocation of the AC joint that had been treated by a single surgeon using a double-button fixation system. An independent reviewer conducted functional testing of these patients, including the use of Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH), Constant and visual analog scale (VAS) scores. Standard radiographs were used for assessing the CC distance for the impacted shoulder relative to that of the unaffected contralateral shoulderThe new CC guider leads to an excellent cosmetic result. Our clinical results show that this technique can be easily performed and is similarly invasive to other current arthroscopic techniques.