MPFL reconstruction corrects patella alta: a cohort study.

PURPOSE: Patella alta is an established risk factor for recurrent lateral patella dislocations. Medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction has been shown to reduce patella height. Our hypothesis is that isolated MPFL reconstruction corrects patella alta, thereby reducing the risk of recurrent patella dislocation. METHODS: A prospective cohort study of 33 knees which underwent MPFL reconstruction for recurrent patella dislocation. The pre-operative and post-operative patella height and Kujala knee outcome scores, as well as tibial tuberosity-trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance, and the grade of trochlear dysplasia were recorded. RESULTS: The mean age was 21.5 years (16-34 years). There was significant reduction in patella height in all patients (p < 0.001), a 67% normalisation of patella alta (CD ≥ 1.2) (p < 0.004), and improvement in the Kujala scores 57.1 (pre-operatively) to 94.8 (post-operatively, p < 0.0001). The recurrent dislocation rate was 3%. CONCLUSION: MPFL reconstruction alone results in correction in patella alta and improvement in clinical outcomes.

Technique for All-Inside Repair of Bucket-Handle Meniscus Tears.

Bucket-handle meniscal tears (BHMT) remain a challenge to treat due to their complex pathology and technical difficulty. Subtotal meniscectomy has shown to improve symptoms early but leads to accelerated osteoarthritis in the affected compartment and poor long-term outcomes. BHMT repair and meniscal preservation is the preferred option. This can be performed with inside-out, all-inside, or hybrid meniscus repair techniques. All-inside meniscus repair avoids the need for additional safety incisions, trained assistants for suture passing, and reduce concerns of soft-tissue and neurovascular complications. In this Technical Note, we detail our all-inside technique for BHMT technique and share tips for a successful repair.

Intra-operative fractures in cementless bipolar hemiarthroplasty.

PURPOSE: To compare patients with or without intra-operative fracture during cementless bipolar hemiarthroplasty. METHODS: Records of 76 men and 202 women who underwent cementless bipolar hemiarthroplasty for femoral neck fractures were reviewed. Patients with and without intra-operative fractures and patients with different types of intra-operative fractures were compared. RESULTS: Two men and 22 women aged 62 to 93 (mean, 80) years sustained intra-operative fractures at the lesser trochanter (n=18), the greater trochanter (n=5), and the subtrochanter (n=1). All 18 lesser trochanteric fractures and 4 of the greater trochanteric fractures were recognised intra-operatively and managed with cerclage wiring (n=21) or conversion to cemented hemiarthroplasty with cerclage wiring (n=1). The remaining 2 fractures were recognised postoperatively on radiographs and managed conservatively or with revision surgery and cerclage wiring and plating on day 4. Intra-operative fractures correlated with female gender (p=0.03) and operative delay to optimise patients (p=0.02), whereas the fracture site correlated with the time of fracture recognition (p=0.01). Postoperatively, 5 patients were allowed partial weight bearing and 18 were instructed to mobilise with a wheelchair for at least 6 weeks. One patient died from an unrelated cause. At one year, 21 patients reported no hip pain and 2 reported minimal pain. 17 could walk with or without aids and 6 were wheelchair-bound. CONCLUSION: Surgeons should be familiar with the size difference in trial and actual implants used in bipolar hemiarthroplasty in order to better estimate the extent of broaching required. In most patients with an intra-operative fracture, the one-year outcome was not compromised, despite the poorer short-term outcome.