[Knee ligament injuries. Anatomy, biomechanics, diagnosis, indications].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to P Lobenhoffer.
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Between 1984 and 1991, 57 patients with diagnosis of an acute or recurrent patellar dislocation were treated operatively using proximal realignment with vastus medialis transfer and lateral release (Insall operation). A total of 45 patients (15 with acute and 30 with recurrent patellar dislocation) were reviewed at an average follow-up of 6.5 years (2-9.6 years). The average age at injury was 21.5 years, with a predominance of female patients. Follow-up examination included routine knee examination, clinical review using the modified knee scoring scale of Larsen and Lauridsen, sports activity level and subjective satisfaction. Radiographics from 27 patients (60%) were evaluated. One patient from each group suffered recurrence of patellar dislocation. All patients had stable knee joints and a full range of motion. There was no statistical difference in the pre- and postoperative sports activity level in both groups. Three patients (19.9%) with acute patellar dislocation and seven patients (23.3%) with recurrent patella dislocation had excellent results using the Larsen and Lauridsen score scale. Ten patients (66.6%) with acute and 12 (39.9%) with recurrent dislocation had good results. One patient with recurrent patellar dislocation had a fair result. Subjective evaluation revealed the operative result in 93% of cases as very good, good or satisfactory. Patellofemoral osteoarthritis was seen in 11 (40.7%) of 27 patients. Our results show good clinical results for the treatment of acute patellar dislocation in young, active patients with the proximal realignment procedure. The recurrence rate of patellar dislocation can be reduced for acute and recurrent patellar dislocation. Subjective satisfaction with this procedure is rated very good.
A 3-year-old child was trapped under the heavy load of a forklift truck and sustained an unstable pelvic ring fracture (Tile type C) with complete SI disruption, disruption of the public symphysis and external rotation injury of the contralateral SI joint. An immediate internal fixation was performed, exposing the SI joint and the public symphysis simultaneously. For stabilization an H-plate was used for anterior plate fixation of the SI joint, while the public symphysis was stabilized by screws and cerclage wires. After one revision of the symphysis the clinical course was uneventful with anatomical healing of the pelvic ring. The implants were removed after 4 months. Clinical and radiological follow-up after 12 months showed no signs of maldevelopment of the pelvic ring.
Knee proprioception was assessed in 20 healthy volunteers, 10 patients with acute anterior instability and in 20 patients with chronic anterior instability preoperatively as well as after 3 and 6 months postoperatively. To determine proprioception, an angle reproduction test was performed. There were no differences between the right and the left knee joint or between men and women. Best proprioception was measured near full extension. The acute trauma causes massive damage of the proprioception, which could be improved significantly by rehabilitation. However, rehabilitation could not restore proprioception. 3 months postoperatively, there was a slight decrease of proprioception as compared to the preoperative values, but 6 months after reconstruction, restoration of proprioception was documented near full extension and full flexion. In the mid range position, the proprioception could not be restored. There was no difference between open and arthroscopic techniques. The highest correlation was found between proprioception and patient's satisfaction.
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ACL reconstruction with a patellar tendon autograft has reached a high grade of perfection. Surgery can be performed mini-open or arthroscopically, both techniques are presently equal in morbidity and results. The optimal insertion areas for the graft have been defined and can be controlled intra- and postoperatively by radiographs. The bone blocks of the graft allow for stable fixation and an aggressive functional rehabilitation program stressing active full extension of the joint. Disadvantages are a certain donor site morbidity and a rate of restrictions in range-of-motion. The management of arthrofibrosis should address the pathogenesis. Localized arthrofibrosis is caused by a mechanical conflict in the knee and removal of the mechanical block will usually solve the problem. Generalized arthrofibrosis is a complex process involving the entire joint and resulting in a wide-spread proliferative reaction of the connective tissue. The surgical management must be more complex involving open debridement and capsulotomies.
Complex joint trauma is a term reserved for specific and severe injuries that include two or more structural elements of the joint. These structural elements are the articulating bones, the major ligaments of the joint, the local soft tissue envelope and the neurovascular structures. Complex joint trauma has a high risk for complications and requires a special treatment algorhythm. A staged surgical protocol with initial soft tissue debridement, closed joint reduction and external fixation of the extremity followed by secondary reconstructive surgery after soft tissue recovery is suggested.
The treatment of knee joint injuries has seen marked development in the last few years. The surgical trauma of intra-articular fracture reconstruction has been reduced significantly. Retrograde nailing, percutaneous plating and specific exposures to distal femur and proximal tibia fractures have been established. Percutaneous osteosynthesis controlled by arthroscopy or fluoroscopy is widely used for B-fractures of the tibial plateau. Injectable bone mineral cement adds to reduced trauma of surgical treatment of these fractures. In all knee ligament procedures, arthroscopy is obligatory for diagnosing and conducting meniscus surgery. Ligament reconstruction should be performed either arthroscopically or by a limited arthrotomy, the results being comparable at present.
Tibial plateau fractures with depression of posterior aspects of the proximal tibia cause significant therapeutic problems. Posterior fractures on the medial side are mainly highly instable fracture-dislocations (Moore type I). Posterolateral fractures usually cause massive depression and destruction of the chondral surface. Surgical exposure of these fractures from anterior requires major soft tissue dissection and has a significant complication rate. However, incomplete restoration of the joint surface results in chronic postero-inferior joint subluxation, osteoarthritis and pain. We present new specific approaches for posterior fracture types avoiding large skin incisions, but allowing for atraumatic exposure, reduction and fixation. Posteromedial fracture-dislocations are exposed by a direct posteromedial skin incision and a deep incision between medial collateral ligament and posterior oblique ligament. The posteromedial pillar and the posterior flare of the proximal tibia are visualized. The inferior extent of the joint fragment can be reduced by indirect techniques or direct manipulation of the fragment. Fixation is achieved with subchondral lag screws and an anti-glide plate at the tip of the fragment. Posterolateral fractures are exposed by a transfibular approach: the skin is incised laterally, the peroneal nerve is dissected free. The fibula neck is osteotomized, the tibiofibular syndesmosis is divided and the fibula neck is reflected upwards in one layer with the meniscotibial ligament and the iliotibial tract attachment. Reflexion of the fibula head relaxes the lateral collateral ligament, allows for lateral joint opening and internal rotation of the tibia and thus exposes the posterolateral and posterior aspect of the tibial plateau. Fixation and buttressing on the posterolateral side can be achieved easily with this approach. In closure, the fibula head is fixed back with a lag screw or a tension-band system. These two exposures can be combined in bicondylar posterior fracture situations. 168 cases with tibial plateau fractures had ORIF in the authors' institution from 1988 to 1994. 26 of these patients had a total of 29 posterior exposures to treat their fractures (9 posteromedial, 12 posterolateral, 3 combined posteromedial/posterolateral and 2 posterior/anterior exposures). No specific complications occurred related to these exposures, i.e. no skin slough, no infection, no nerve palsy. The mean duration of follow-up was 4 years. Twenty-one cases healed uneventfully: 12 were excellent in Rasmussen's clinical score, 8 were good and 1 was fair. Seven patients were excellent in the radiological score, 13 good and 1 fair. Five of the 26 cases had revision surgery: 3 patients developed valgus or retrocurvatum deformity and were successfully treated by an osteotomy. They obtained a good result at follow-up. Two fractures in elderly patients were revised to an endoprosthesis.
The treatment of joint injuries has seen a marked development in the last years. The surgical trauma of articular reconstruction was reduced and our deeper understanding of the mechanism of connective tissue healing influenced the rehabilitation program after joint injuries significantly. Indirect soft-tissue sparing reduction techniques can be applied to most joint fractures and improved fixation techniques using intraoperative fluoroscopy or arthroscopy allow to avoid vast exposures of the joint. The process of ligament healing requires joint movement and a certain stress to the healing tissue in order to achieve optimum scar strength, stiffness and remodeling. Immobilisation thus should be avoided completely after ligament injuries and certain lesions can be treated non-operatively with a high success rate (MCL rupture, ankle sprain, elbow dislocation). In other injuries, surgery should stabilize the joint thus allowing functional rehabilitation (cruciate ligament tears, shoulder dislocation).
There are many new options, and those procedures that are interesting from the aspect of traumatology have been selected: (1) A special positioning aid for the treatment of injuries to the cervical spine. The appliance has proved extremely useful for reduction and immobilization of fractures and dislocations and also allows reliable positioning of the head in all desired surgical positions when ventral and/or dorsal approaches are used. (2) A new titanium H-plate, which can be fixed either with the usual 3.5-mm-thick screws or with unconventional 4.5-mm-thick screws in the case of lesions to the lower cervical spine. (3) A new technique for less invasive atlanto-axial screw fixation, with a cannula system extending to the axis from small incisions at the level of the upper thoracic spine, by way of which the C-1 joint block can be drilled, milled and screwed. (4) Jeanneret's CerviFix rod system. This system has progressed beyond the drawbacks of plating as performed so far for internal fixation of the dorsal cervical spine, in which screws could be inserted only at predetermined intervals and angles. Movable grips, lateral stabilizers and extension pieces mean that the system is very well able to fulfil the demands of a variable and stable implant. (5) Transthoracic endoscopic spinal surgery, which is excellently suited to fusion of a traumatized segment to supplement reduction and instrumentation from a dorsal approach. (6) A reduced-invasion method at the thoracolumbar transition, with no insertion of implants from a ventral approach and blocking through a small left lateral thoracotomy with autogeneic shavings from the iliac crest.
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Juxta- and intraarticular fractures of the knee (floating knee), intraarticular fractures with severe soft tissue damage and knee dislocations with vascular or soft tissue lesions are defined as complex knee trauma. A specific management protocol is required for these cases. Fractures should be treated with soft-tissue sparing minimal invasive reduction and fixation techniques to reduce the significant complication rate which is presently encountered. Percutaneous plate fixation, percutaneous screw osteosynthesis and hybrid fixation should be widely used in these cases. In knee dislocation, the central pivot with the two cruciate ligaments should be reconstructed using augmented repair or primary tendon grafting in every case, whereas the treatment of collateral ligament lesions depends on the specific injury type.
We report a case of symptomatic acute posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) rupture in a 3-year-old boy. At arthroscopy, the PCL was avulsed from the femoral attachment with intact ligament substance. Arthroscopic repair of the PCL was performed by transosseous sutures, which were placed using a suture-punch and an anterior cruciate ligament drill guide. Two years later there was a perfect objective and functional result.
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Soft tissue injuries often represent the greatest clinical problem. Not only do many of the most frequently injured tissues, such as the cruciate ligaments and articular cartilage, have very limited capabilities for spontaneous repair, but they also respond poorly to surgical or non-surgical intervention. In this article we try to define the role of growth factors in these conditions and to outline concepts for future treatment based upon modulation of the native repair response. We suggest that gene transfer could improve the management of such injuries, particularly when used as vehicles for the targetted delivery of growth factors.