ABSTRACT
Background: Anatomic placement of the meniscal allograft is imperative to achieve satisfactory outcomes after meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT). Few studies have reported on the accuracy of the provisional location of the center of the anterior horn of the lateral meniscus (AHLM). Hypothesis: The authors hypothesized that the provisional center would not coincide with the anatomic center of the AHLM. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: Tibial plateaus were retrieved from 93 consecutive patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty. A complete radial cut was made 2 cm lateral to the insertion of the AHLM on the retrieved tibial plateau. While moving the stump of the anterior horn with forceps, the center of the insertion was determined, and a Kirschner wire (provisional wire) was drilled into the location. The insertion area of the AHLM was dissected carefully, and the periphery of the insertion area of the anterior horn was marked. Another Kirschner wire (anatomic wire) was drilled into the center of the dissected anterior horn. The resected tibial plateau was positioned so that the longitudinal line of the tibial plateau was aligned on a plastic ruler. The distance between the provisional and anatomic wires was measured by a digital caliper along the longitudinal and vertical axes. Results: The mean distance between the provisional and anatomic wires was 2.5 ± 1.2 mm. The provisional wire in 14 patients (15%) was placed at the anatomic center. In 36 patients (39%), the provisional wire was drilled anterolateral to the anatomic center, and in 18 patients (19%), the wire was drilled anteromedial to the anatomic center. In 21 patients (23%), the provisional wire was located within 2 mm of the anatomic center, and in 62 patients (67%), the wire was located within 3 mm of the anatomic center. Conclusion: The provisional wire was located a mean of 2.5 mm from the anatomic center, and only 23% of patients had wires that were located within 2 mm of the anatomic center. In 39% of patients, the provisional wire was drilled anterolateral to the anatomic center. This finding needs to be considered during lateral MAT. Clinical Relevance: Without dissection of the AHLM, the determination of the anatomic center of the anterior horn is not accurate during lateral MAT.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Biomechanical studies have demonstrated significant loosening of the adjustable-loop device as compared with the fixed-loop device used in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Retensioning of the adjustable loop has been recommended; however, the timing of the retensioning is unknown. HYPOTHESIS: Early (ER) and late retensioning (LR) will show similar gapping between the femoral tunnel and graft on follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and similar clinical outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: This study included 101 patients who underwent hamstring anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using the adjustable-loop device for femoral fixation between June 2016 and January 2018. All patients a had follow-up MRI on postoperative day 1. Patients with revision surgery and those with reinjury after reconstruction were excluded. In the ER group, retensioning and knot tying of the initially tightened adjustable loop were performed after the flip of the button and before the graft was fixed at the tibia. In the LR group, retensioning and knot tying were performed after initial tightening of the adjustable loop and graft fixation at the tibial side. The tunnel-graft gap measured on multiplanar reformatted images of MRI scans was compared between the groups, as were clinical outcomes. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients at the time of surgery was 30.3 years (range, 14-61 years). ER and knot tying were performed in 56 patients and LR and knot tying in 45. Preoperative characteristics of the 2 groups showed no significant differences. The mean ± SD tunnel-graft gap was 1.5 ± 2.0 mm in the ER group and 5.4 ± 4.0 mm in the LR group (P < .001). There were no significant differences in clinical outcomes between the groups. CONCLUSION: ER and knot tying demonstrated less tunnel-graft gap than that of LR. However, there were no differences in clinical outcomes according to the timing of retensioning.
