Arthroscopic Implantation of a Cell-Free Bilayer Scaffold for the Treatment of Knee Chondral Lesions: A 2-Year Prospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study is to assess the safety and clinical efficacy of a cell-free bilayer scaffold (MaioRegen Chondro+ by Fin-Ceramica) in patients affected by chondral knee lesions of different origin and localization. DESIGN: Thirty-one patients with focal chondral lesions of the knee were arthroscopically treated with MaioRegen Chondro+. All patients were prospectively evaluated for a minimum of 2 years using the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Questionnaire and the Tegner Activity Scale. Cartilage repair was assessed based on the Magnetic Resonance Observation of Cartilage Repair Tissue (MOCART) 2.0 score at 12 months. Follow-up at 36 months was available for 25 out of 31 patients. RESULTS: From baseline to 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-up, IKDC score significantly improved by 19.5 ± 7.27 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 16.9-22.2, P < 0.001), 30.8 ± 7.63 (95% CI: 28.0-33.6, P < 0.001), and 36.2 ± 8.00 points (95% CI: 33.3-39.2, P < 0.001), respectively. Tegner scores documented a substantial clinical improvement as early as 12 months after surgery (change of -0.6 ± 0.62; 95% CI: -0.8 to -0.4, P < 0.001), reaching the preinjury values. There was a statistically significant increase in the MOCART scores (P < 0.001). Comparable results were observed regardless of preintervention demographic characteristics, lesion site or etiology, or the number of treated sites. Notably, the significant clinical benefit was maintained in a subset of patients who reached 3-year follow-up. No adverse events were reported in the entire analyzed population. CONCLUSION: MaioRegen Chondro+ is a safe and effective device for the treatment of knee chondral lesions, enabling a significant clinical improvement for at least 2 years.

Arthroscopic Electromechanical Assessment of Human Articular Cartilage Injury Correlates with ICRS Scores.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to conduct arthroscopic evaluation of cartilage electromechanical properties and establish their correlation with International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) grading scores. METHODS: In 18 patients, quantitative parameter (QP) measurements were taken on the weight-bearing surface of the medial femoral condyle. Adjacently, the same site was graded using ICRS scores (0-4). Electromechanical QPs for ICRS grades 0 to 3 were obtained during arthroscopy, while complete grade 4 injuries were assessed using femur cartilage-bone blocks from knee arthroplasty. The QP values for ICRS grades 0 to 2 were compared with grades 3 and 4 using Welch t test. The corresponding QP values were assigned to ICRS grades 0 to 4 and compared using Welch ANOVA (analysis of variance). Pearson's coefficient evaluated QP-ICRS grade relationship. RESULTS: Healthy grade 0 cartilage displayed a mean QP value of 10.5 (±2.8 SD, n = 4). The ICRS grade 1 and grade 2 injuries were associated with QP values of 12 (±0.7, n = 2) and 13.25 (±1.77, n = 2), respectively. The grade 3 defects had QP values of 20.43 (±4.84, n = 4), whereas complete grade 4 defects showed electromechanical values of 30.17 (±2.19, n = 6). Significant differences in QP values were observed between ICRS grades 0 to 2 (mean QP 11.56 ± 2.3, n = 8) and grades 3 and 4 (26.27 ± 6, n = 10; P < 0.0001). Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.9 indicated a strong association between higher ICRS cartilage injury grades and elevated QP values (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Arthroscopic electromechanical QP assessment robustly correlates with ICRS scores. The QP values for ICRS grades 0 to 2 are significantly lower, compared with grades 3 and 4.

Arthroscopic treatment of intra-articular osteoid osteoma in the bicipital groove. A case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Rare presence of intra-articular osteoid osteoma may be difficult to diagnose due to the lack of typical radiographic features and clinical appearance similar to other articular pathologies. Additionally traditional treatment choices for osteoid osteoma may not suit the given environment of the shoulder joint area. CASE PRESENTATION: We presented a 50-year-old male with a prolonged history of anterior shoulder pain and shoulder stiffness after physical activity. Intra-articular joint pathology was suspected after initial clinical and radiographic assessment. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an osteoid osteoma in the humeral bicipital groove. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: The surgical goal is to resect the benign bony tumour. Though the established treatment by open surgery or radiological minimally invasive techniques may not be optimal since pathologies in the shoulder joint cannot be addressed without the risk of damage to articular structures and increased complications. In this case to avoid joint incision site morbidity and address adjacent pathology arthroscopic removal of the tumour with refixation of the biceps longus tendon was carried out. At follow up of 12 months post-surgery physical activity did not provoke stiffness and resting pain has subsided. CONCLUSION: Arthroscopic intra-articular osteoma resection in shoulder joint was optimal to address adjacent osteoma induced pathology, achieve great visualization, reduce incision site complication rates and achieve good results. Additional synovectomy during arthroscopic treatment can be performed, due to concomitant synovitis causing joint stiffness in most reported intra-articular OO cases.

Large-Diameter Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Technique With 8-Strand Semitendinosus and Gracilis Graft.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using a single 4-strand semitendinosus graft is a popular technique; unfortunately, the size (diameter) of the graft varies between 7 and 9 mm in many cases. The literature reveals that smaller diameter of the graft determines poorer Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score sport/recreation functional scores and leads to revision surgery. Our Technical Note describes a method of preparing >10-mm size hamstring autografts in all cases while increasing the strength of fixation and covering as much of the anatomical ACL attachment footprint area as possible. We report an anatomic reconstruction technique of ACL with 8-strand semitendinosus and gracilis grafts fixed with 2 suspensory fixation systems-PULLUP (SBM, Lourdes, France). Combined with a complete tibial tunnel outside-in approach, this technique allows a quick and easy ACL reconstruction with a large diameter of the graft and increased stability of the fixation.

Clinical outcome after treatment of single and multiple cartilage defects by autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis.

PURPOSE: Characterized cartilage lesions have a distinct impact on postoperative clinical outcome, which is still being evaluated. The purpose of this study was to assess the postoperative clinical outcome of autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis (AMIC) for characterized cartilage lesions. METHODS: Fifteen patients with articular cartilage (AC) defects of the knee were included in the study. AC defects were characterized intraoperatively by International Cartilage Repair Society score. Grade III-IV AC lesions were treated with AMIC; grade I-II lesions were left untreated. Patients were divided into subgroups and clinically evaluated by subjective autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis (IKDC) and Tegner scores at median follow-up of 4.5 years. RESULTS: Twenty-eight AC defects were diagnosed (1.9/patient). Multiple subgroup had larger diagnosed (7 ± 2.3 cm2, p = 0.022) and untreated (3.1 ± 2.3 cm2, p = 0.012) lesion areas than the single subgroup. Partly treated subgroup had larger untreated defect areas (3.6±2.3 cm2, p = 0.025) than the Treated subgroup. Average subjective IKDC values of total group and individual subgroups improved significantly at follow-up. More patients restored their previous activity levels ( p = 0.026) and had higher incremental subjective IKDC scores ( p = 0.014) in the single subgroup than the multiple subgroup. Diagnosed defect size negatively correlated to subjective IKDC incremental ( r = -0.624, p = 0.023) and postoperative scores ( r = -0.545, p = 0.054) in total group. CONCLUSIONS: AMIC can have a clinically relevant outcome for patients with single or multiple knee AC lesions; however, clinical outcome is superior in patients with a single defect per knee. Patients with single defects returned to previous physical activity levels significantly faster than patients with multiple defects. Diagnosed AC defect areas negatively correlate to clinical improvement at follow-up.