Anterior and Rotational Knee Laxity Does Not Affect Patient-Reported Knee Function 2 Years After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: While a primary goal of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is to reduce pathologically increased anterior and rotational knee laxity, the relationship between knee laxity after ACL reconstruction and patient-reported knee function remains unclear. HYPOTHESIS: There would be no significant correlation between the degree of residual anterior and rotational knee laxity and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) 2 years after primary ACL reconstruction. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: From a prospective multicenter nested cohort of patients, 433 patients younger than 36 years of age injured in sports with no history of concomitant ligament surgery, revision ACL surgery, or surgery of the contralateral knee were identified and evaluated at a minimum 2 years after primary ACL reconstruction. Each patient underwent Lachman and pivot-shift evaluation as well as a KT-1000 arthrometer assessment along with Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score and subjective International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores. A proportional odds logistic regression model was used to predict each 2-year PRO score, controlling for preoperative score, age, sex, body mass index, smoking, Marx activity score, education, subsequent surgery, meniscal and cartilage status, graft type, and range of motion asymmetry. Measures of knee laxity were independently added to each model to determine correlation with PROs. RESULTS: Side-to-side manual Lachman differences were IKDC A in 246 (57%) patients, IKDC B in 183 (42%) patients, and IKDC C in 4 (<1%) patients. Pivot-shift was classified as IKDC A in 209 (48%) patients, IKDC B in 183 (42%) patients, and IKDC C in 11 (2.5%) patients. The mean side-to-side KT-1000 difference was 2.0 ± 2.6 mm. No significant correlations were noted between pivot-shift or anterior tibial translation as assessed by Lachman or KT-1000 and any PRO. All predicted differences in PROs based on IKDC A versus B pivot-shift and anterior tibial translation were less than 4 points. CONCLUSION: Neither the presence of IKDC A versus B pivot-shift nor increased anterior tibial translation of up to 6 mm is associated with clinically relevant decreases in PROs 2 years after ACL reconstruction.

Hop tests correlate with IKDC and KOOS at minimum of 2 years after primary ACL reconstruction.

PURPOSE: The hypothesis of this study was that single-legged horizontal hop test ratios would correlate with IKDC, KOOS, and Marx activity level scores in patients 2 years after primary ACL reconstruction. METHODS: Individual patient-reported outcome tools and hop test ratios on 69 ACL reconstructed patients were compared using correlations and multivariable modeling. Correlations between specific questions on the IKDC and KOOS concerning the ability to jump and hop ratios were also performed. RESULTS: The triple-hop ratio was moderately but significantly correlated with the IKDC, KOOS Sports and Recreation subscale, and the KOOS Knee Related Quality of Life subscale, as well as with the specific questions related to jumping. Similar but weaker relationship patterns were found for the single-hop ratio and timed hop. No significant correlations were found for the Marx activity level or crossover-hop ratio. Multivariable modeling showed almost no significant additional contribution to predictability of the IKDC or KOOS subscores by gender, BMI, or the number of faults on either leg. CONCLUSIONS: The triple-hop test is most significantly correlated with patient-reported outcome scores. Multivariable modeling indicates that less than a quarter of the variability in outcome scores can be explained by hop test results. This indicates that neither test can serve as a direct proxy for the other; however, assessment of patient physical function by either direct report using validated outcome tools or by the hop test will provide relatively comparable data.

Extremely high fracture rate of a modular acetabular component with a sandwich polyethylene ceramic insertion for THA: a preliminary report.

Improvements of ceramic components and design changes have reduced failure rates over the past 30 years in total hip arthroplasty. We present a series of n = 11 cases with ceramic failure out of n = 113 implantations, from which n = 66 were ceramic-on-ceramic (n = 50 with ceramic insert with sandwich in polyethylene and n = 16 with directly fixed ceramic inlay) and n = 47 ceramic on polyethylene bearings, between 1999 and 2001 after introduction of a new implantation system to the market. The overall fracture rate of ceramic for the whole series (n = 113) was 9.7%. For the combination ceramic head with UHMW-PE (n = 47) the fracture rate was 2.1%. For the combination ceramic with ceramic (n = 66) the fracture rate was 15.2%. For the combination ceramic with ceramic sandwich in PE (n = 50) the failure rate was 18%. Only three patients experienced a trauma. Demography of patients (age, gender, body weight and BMI) was not statistically different between patients with failed ceramics and the rest of the patients making patient-specific risk factors unlikely to be an explanation for the failures. Retrospective X-ray analysis of the cup positioning did not show significant difference between failed and non-failed implants in terms of mean cup inclination and version making also operation-specific factors unlikely to be the only reason of this high failure rate. Therefore, manufacturer-specific factors such as design features may have contributed to this high failure rate. Further analysis of the whole series with biomechanical testing of the retrieved material needs to be performed.