Stand-Alone Tibial Interference Screw Fixation and Tibial Interference Screw Plus Tibial Staple Fixation Produce Comparable Outcomes After Primary Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using Hamstring Autografts.

Purpose: To investigate the impact of adding a metal staple alongside the interference screw in tibial side graft fixation during anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Methods: All patients treated with autograft hamstring ACLR at our institution between January 2017 and December 2021 with a minimum 1-year follow-up were reviewed retrospectively. Patients treated with a stand-alone interference screw for tibial side fixation were compared with those treated with a combination of interference screw and staple. The primary outcome was failure of the reconstructed graft. Secondary outcomes were operative time, complication rate, and reoperation rate. Results: A total of 497 patients met the study's inclusion and exclusion criteria. A combination of staple and interference screw was used in 167 patients (33.6%), whereas a standalone interference screw was used in 330 patients. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of operative time, complication rate, or failure rate. The mean follow-up was 23.25 (±13.29) months. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that augmenting the interference screw with a staple for tibial-side fixation in ACLR does not have a significant impact on operative time, reoperation rate, complications, or failure rates. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective cohort study.

Acute Atraumatic Compartment Syndrome of the Thigh Due to Acquired Coagulopathy Disorder: A Case Report in Known Healthy Patient.

INTRODUCTION: We present a case of spontaneous compartment syndrome due to a very rare cause which is acquired hemophilia. CASE PRESENTATION: A 34-year-old patient presented with the right thigh swelling and features of acute compartment syndrome without history of trauma. He had no history of bleeding disorder. There were no features of infection. As his initial blood tests were within normal 16 g/dl, and his compartment syndrome worsened, he had decompression of the thigh. During the post-operative period, the patient developed persistent bleeding from the decompressed wounds and a fall in hemoglobin which led to further investigation when the blood profile showed a deficiency of factor VIII and antibodies to factor VIII, diagnosis of acquired hemophilia was made and appropriate treatment given. CONCLUSION: If atraumatic compartment syndrome diagnosed, possibility of acquired factor VIII deficiency should be raised by isolated prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time and diagnosis confirmed by measuring factor VIII activity level and detecting any factor's VIII antibodies in blood, such as in this case, the factor VIII level was 5.5 (very low) and against factor VIII antibodies level was 60.8 (high). Here, hematologist should be involved in management.

Failure Rates of 5-Strand and 6-Strand vs Quadrupled Hamstring Autograft ACL Reconstruction: A Comparative Study of 413 Patients With a Minimum 2-Year Follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) with hamstring autograft has gained popularity. However, an unpredictably small graft diameter has been a drawback of this technique. Smaller graft diameter has been associated with increased risk of revision, and increasing the number of strands has been reported as a successful technique to increase the graft diameter. PURPOSE: To compare failure rates of 5-strand (5HS) and 6-strand (6HS) hamstring autograft compared with conventional 4-strand (4HS) hamstring autograft. We describe the technique in detail, supplemented by photographs and illustrations, to provide a reproducible technique to avoid the variable and often insufficient 4HS graft diameter reported in the literature. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed prospectively collected data of all primary hamstring autograft ACLRs performed at our institution with a minimum 2-year follow-up and 8.0-mm graft diameter. A total of 413 consecutive knees met the study inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study population was divided into 5HS and 6HS groups as well as a 4HS control group. The primary outcome was failure of ACLR, defined as persistent or recurrent instability and/or revision ACLR. RESULTS: The analysis included 224, 156, and 33 knees in the 5HS, 6HS, and 4HS groups, respectively. The overall ACLR failure rate in this study was 11 cases (8%): 5 cases for 5HS, 3 cases for 6HS, and 3 cases for 4HS. No statistically significant differences were found among groups (P = .06). The mean graft diameter was 9 mm, and the mean follow-up was 44.27 months. CONCLUSION: The 5HS and 6HS constructs have similar failure rates to the conventional 4HS construct of 8.0-mm diameter and are therefore safe and reliable to increase the diameter of relatively smaller hamstring autografts. We strongly recommend using this technique when the length of the tendons permits to avoid failures reportedly associated with inadequate graft size.