ACL surgical trends evolve in the last five years for young European surgeons: results of the survey among the U45 ESSKA members.

PURPOSE: Although the outcomes of ACL reconstruction are generally satisfying, there are several patients who do not regain their pre-injury sporting level and suffer persistent symptoms. Orthopaedic practice has evolved significantly over the last five years to address these drawbacks. The aim of the present survey was to analyze the changes in the approach to ACL reconstruction among a population of young ESSKA surgeons dedicated to ACL surgery. METHODS: The survey was uploaded on the ESSKA website and was accessible to members under the age of 45. The ESSKA society has 1035 U45 members involved in multiple aspects of Orthopaedic practice. One hundred and forty questionnaires were returned. Several aspects of ACL surgery were investigated at baseline and 5 years prior. They included general details such as the volume of ACL reconstructions per surgeon per year, the graft choice in cases of low and high demanding patients, the technique for femoral tunnel drilling and the preferred device for femoral fixation. The approach to the management of damage to peripheral structures, as well as meniscal ramp and root tears were also investigated. RESULTS: Hamstrings and quadrupled semitendinosus were the preferred graft choice in low-demanding patients (92.9%) while quadriceps tendon is gaining popularity in contact sport practitioners (from 4.3 to 10.7%). The percentage of surgeons using femoral screws had decreased from 37.9 to 29.3 while the percentage of those who used buttons increased from 52.9 to 69.3%. Extra-articular procedures (antero-lateral ligament (ALL) or lateral tenodesis have become popular. The percentage of surgeons who perform an additional peripheral reconstruction rose from 28.5 to 71.5%. Of those who perform the meniscal repair more than 50% of patients rose from 14.3 to 27.9%. Similarly, the percentage of surgeons who performed a medial meniscus ramp lesion repair rose from 29.4 to 54.7%. While the percentage of those who choose to perform a transtibial pull-out repair of lateral meniscus root tears significantly rose from 17.9 to 59.3%. CONCLUSIONS: The present survey among under 45 years old ESSKA surgeons yields some notable findings. The new evidence on the impact of injuries on peripheral structures and menisci is stimulating surgeons towards a more anatomic approach if identified at the time of ACL reconstruction. This evidence will probably influence future research and decision-making. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

CAS and PSI increase coronal alignment accuracy and reduce outliers when compared to traditional technique of medial open wedge high tibial osteotomy: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Medial open-wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOWHTO) is an accepted option in the treatment of medial compartment osteoarthritis of the knee in young and active patients. Functional results are closely correlated to the correction of the mechanical axis of the lower limb. Although several angular and geometrical methods and values have been proposed in the past, the ideal target is still debated. In addition, it is important to have a deep correlation between the planned correction and the achieved correction after surgery. The aim of the present systematic review was to identify the ideal coronal correction after MOWHTO and the most accurate method to achieve it. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was completed on July 3rd 2020 in the Pubmed, Medline, Cochrane Reviews, and Google Scholar databases using the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms: "high tibial osteotomy" AND "accuracy" OR "planning". RESULTS: 28 studies were included; 18 were focused on computer-assisted surgery (CAS) and 10 on patient-specific instrumentation (PSI). There were 598 patients in the CAS group and 501 in the control group; the rate of outliers was 16% and 38.2% respectively (P = 0.04), while there was no significant difference between the two groups (SMD = - 0.10; 95% CI 1.31 to 1.12; P = n.s.) in terms of coronal accuracy. Likewise, there were 318 patients in the PSI group and 40 in the control group; the rate of outliers was 15% and 40% respectively (P = 0.98), while there was no significant difference between the two groups (SMD = 0.01; 95% CI 0.58 to 0.59; P = 0.98). CONCLUSIONS: A statistically significant reduced outlier rate and a non-significant increased accuracy emerged with the use of CAS when compared to the traditional surgical technique, whereas the results of PSI were still inconclusive. In addition, it emerged clearly that no consensus still exists on the ideal correction target to be achieved after surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Results of a tri-national online survey on the current status of sports injury prevention among members of the German-Speaking Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Society (GOTS).

OBJECTIVES: To assess the current opinions and state of knowledge in primary sports injury prevention among members of the German-Speaking Society for Orthopaedic and Traumatologic Sports Medicine (GOTS). METHODS: On 21 August 2019, a web-based questionnaire was sent to the members of the tri-national society GOTS (Austria, Germany and Switzerland). The survey was online until 21 November 2019 and included twenty-two questions, which were divided into five sections: 1) general importance of prevention (n = 4), 2) specifications of the study population (n = 3), 3) implementation of prevention (n = 8), 4) improvement opportunities in prevention (n = 4) and 5) future research areas (n = 3). RESULTS: A total of 272 participants completed the survey, representing a total survey participation of 17.7 % of all members. The study population consisted of orthopaedic surgeons (55 % with surgical and 21 % with non-operative orientation), medical students (10 %), physical therapists (8 %) and sports scientists (4 %). Ninety-four percent of all participants stated that they considered the importance of sports injury prevention to be "very high" (68 %) or "high" (26 %). However, almost 70 % of all participants stated that they spend less than one hour per week on injury prevention work. The term "prevention" was clearly defined and practicable for only 40 %, understandable but difficult to implement for 51 %, and unclear and difficult to implement for 9 % of the participants. Seventy-two percent of respondents were aware of existing prevention programs such as "Stop-X" or "FIFA 11 +", whereas 28 % of participants were uninformed regarding these programs. CONCLUSIONS: A strong divergence was identified between participants' perception of the importance of sports injury prevention and the existing implementation of preventive measures. Future funding of prevention programs, expansion of research strategies for injury prevention and better financial reimbursement are of utmost importance.

Healthy middle-aged Asian and Caucasian populations present with large intra- and inter-individual variations of lower limb torsion.

PURPOSE: There is a lack of standardization in the measurement of lower limb torsional alignment. Normal values published in the literature are inconsistent. A 3D-CT-scan-based method was used in a healthy population to define the femoral neck version (FNV) and the tibial torsion (TT) and their relationship with demographic parameters. The study objectives were (1) to define normal values of lower limb torsional alignment, (2) to estimate inter- and intra-individual variations of torsional deformity of healthy individuals' lower limbs. The hypothesis was that FNV and TT values would be influenced by patient characteristics such as gender, age, and ethnicity, and would have low side-to-side asymmetry. METHODS: Torsional landmarks of the lower limbs from 191 healthy subjects were automatically calculated with a 3D CT-scan-based program. The FNV was defined by the angle between the femoral neck axis and the femoral posterior condylar line. The TT angle was considered between the tibial plateau axis and the axis of the ankle. For the former, two alternatives were considered: the line connecting the more medial and lateral point of the medial and lateral plateau, respectively (method 1; TT1), or the line connecting the two more posterior points of the medial et lateral plateau (method 2; TT2). The ankle axis was defined as the line connecting the medial and lateral malleoli. These reference lines were automatically calculated. Age, gender, ethnic group, and BMI were recorded for every subject. A p value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: Overall, the mean FNV was 15.3 ± 9.5° and the mean TT was 31.6 ± 6.3°. Female hips were more anteverted than male hips. Caucasians had less anteverted hips than Asians, but more externally rotated tibias. Age and BMI were not correlated with any anatomical parameter. A substantial side-to-side asymmetry was found for FNV [absolute difference (AD) = 6.3°; percentage of asymmetry (%As) = 47%], TT1 (AD = 3°; %As = 12%), and TT2 (AD = 4.9°; %As = 9%) (p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: The findings showed that lower limb torsional parameters were highly variable from patient to patient and from one leg to the other for the same patient. The understanding of normal values concerning femoral version and external tibial torsion in the present healthy population will help surgeons to define pathological values of FNV and TT, as well as corrections to perform in case of torsional deformities. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Voluntary femoro-tibial subluxations: a benign differential diagnosis in the snapping knee of a child.

PURPOSE: Voluntary femoro-tibial subluxation is a rare entity predominantly found in pretoddlers. It presents as a dynamic phenomenon with uni- or bilateral audible snapping of the knee, often in a context of fatigue or irritation at the end of the day. The aim of the study was to observe the evolution and recovery in these patients. METHODS: Ten children were included. Other causes of dislocating joints and pathologies with snapping of the lateral meniscus were excluded from this study. Six-week immobilisation with a splint at 70° of knee flexion was primarily recommended to all patients. RESULTS: The mean age at onset of symptoms was 10 months. Forty percent of the patients presented with bilateral symptoms. Clinically, four patients were hyperlax. In all patients, subluxations could be reproduced passively by rotating the foot externally and advancing the internal tibial plateau anteriorly. Three of the patients were treated with a dorsal splint and experienced significantly less or cessation of symptoms. Two patients underwent surgery, one for a concomitant anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture and meniscus tear that worsened the symptoms, another for concomitant patella dislocation and a meniscus tear. One patient's parents refused treatment and four patients experienced less symptoms at the time of consultation and were not immobilized. Except for the two patients undergoing surgeries, no sequelae were observed. In general, the symptoms got less frequent when the patient began to walk. CONCLUSION: Voluntary femoro-tibial subluxation in children is a rare and benign condition that often resolves spontaneously without sequelae. The risk of meniscus tear should, however, be considered if subluxations do not cease. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) is properly perceived but its application is still limited in the orthopedic clinical practice: an online survey among the European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA) members.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the knowledge and awareness of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) among members of the European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA). METHODS: A questionnaire was developed that explored the following areas: (i) respondents' attitudes to EBM; (ii) their motivation to implement EBM in daily practice; (iii) their educational background, knowledge and skills related to accessing and interpreting information; (iv) their level of attention to, and use of, scientific literature; (v) access to and availability of evidence; (vi) perceived barriers in using EBM in clinical practice. The resulting data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the correlation between age, educational background and country was further investigated. RESULTS: Two-hundred and eighty-eight ESSKA members (11% of the total population) compiled the questionnaire. The participants covered all the five continents and an expected prevalence of European professionals (77%) was observed. The vast majority of participants were medical doctors (91%), mainly specialized in knee surgery with minimal involvement in research. 97% of the participants declared having some knowledge of EBM, acquired mainly during their professional education, with some geographical differences. The youngest clinicians and those from Eastern Europe reported the greatest difficulty in using EBM in daily practice. The application of EBM in clinical practice is positively affected by the time dedicated to research and negatively correlates with the time dedicated to patient care. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this survey highlight the need for further investigation into the main reasons behind the limited diffusion of the EBM approach, despite the medical community's knowledge and interest in the concept. A wider application of EMB would upgrade clinical practice, linking medical knowledge and scientific evidence to patients' needs which would result of benefit to patients, but also more in general to the health system.

Nonoperative treatment of muscle injuries - recommendations from the GOTS expert meeting.

BACKGROUND: Muscle injuries are some of the most common injuries in sports; they have a high recurrence rate and can result in the loss of ability to participate in training or competition. In clinical practice, a wide variety of treatment strategies are commonly applied. However, a limited amount of evidence-based data exists, and most therapeutic approaches are solely based on "best practice". Thus, there is a need for consensus to provide strategies and recommendations for the treatment of muscle injuries. METHODS: The 2016 GOTS Expert Meeting, initiated by the German-Austrian-Swiss Society for Orthopaedic Traumatologic Sports Medicine (GOTS), focused on the topic of muscle and tendon injuries and was held in Spreewald/Berlin, Germany. The committee was composed of twenty-two medical specialists. Nine of them were delegated to a subcommittee focusing on the nonoperative treatment of muscle injuries. The recommendations and statements that were developed were reviewed by the entire consensus committee and voted on by the members. RESULTS: The committee reached a consensus on the utility and effectiveness of the management of muscle injuries. MAIN RESULTS: the "PRICE" principle to target the first inflammatory response is one of the most relevant steps in the treatment of muscle injuries. Haematoma aspiration may be considered in the early stages after injury. There is presently no clear evidence that intramuscular injections are of use in the treatment of muscle injuries. The ingestion of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) should be regarded critically because there is currently no hard evidence to support their use, although they are appropriate in exceptional cases. CONCLUSIONS: The present work provides a structured overview of the various nonoperative treatment strategies of muscle injuries and evaluates their effectiveness with respect to the existing scientific evidence and clinical expertise in the context of basic science on the healing process of muscle injuries. The committee agreed that there is a compelling need for further studies, including high-quality randomized investigations to completely evaluate the effectiveness of the existing therapeutic approaches. The given recommendations may be updated and adjusted as further evidence will be generated.

Surgical Management of Degenerative Meniscus Lesions: The 2016 ESSKA Meniscus Consensus.

Purpose A degenerative meniscus lesion is a slowly developing process typically involving a horizontal cleavage in a middle-aged or older person. When the knee is symptomatic, arthroscopic partial meniscectomy has been practised for a long time with many case series reporting improved patient outcomes. Since 2002, several randomised clinical trials demonstrated no additional benefit of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy compared to non-operative treatment, sham surgery or sham arthroscopic partial meniscectomy. These results introduced controversy in the medical community and made clinical decision-making challenging in the daily clinical practice. To facilitate the clinical decision-making process, a consensus was developed. This initiative was endorsed by ESSKA. Methods A degenerative meniscus lesion was defined as a lesion occurring without any history of significant acute trauma in a patient older than 35 years. Congenital lesions, traumatic meniscus tears and degenerative lesions occurring in young patients, especially in athletes, were excluded. The project followed the so-called formal consensus process, involving a steering group, a rating group and a peer-review group. A total of 84 surgeons and scientists from 22 European countries were included in the process. Twenty questions, their associated answers and an algorithm based on extensive literature review and clinical expertise, were proposed. Each question and answer set was graded according to the scientific level of the corresponding literature. Results The main finding was that arthroscopic partial meniscectomy should not be proposed as a first line of treatment for degenerative meniscus lesions. Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy should only be considered after a proper standardised clinical and radiological evaluation and when the response to non-operative management has not been satisfactory. Magnetic resonance imaging of the knee is typically not indicated in the first-line work-up, but knee radiography should be used as an imaging tool to support a diagnosis of osteoarthritis or to detect certain rare pathologies, such as tumours or fractures of the knee. Discussion The present work offers a clear framework for the management of degenerative meniscus lesions, with the aim to balance information extracted from the scientific evidence and clinical expertise. Because of biases and weaknesses of the current literature and lack of definition of important criteria such as mechanical symptoms, it cannot be considered as an exact treatment algorithm. It summarises the results of the "ESSKA Meniscus Consensus Project" ( http://www.esska.org/education/projects ) and is the first official European consensus on this topic. The consensus may be updated and refined as more high-quality evidence emerges. Level of Evidence I.

[Ramp lesions : Tips and tricks in diagnostics and therapy]. / Rampenläsionen : Tipps und Tricks in Diagnostik und Therapie.

There is an increasing biomechanical and anatomical understanding of the different types of meniscal lesions. Lesions of the posterior part of the medial meniscus in the meniscosynovial area have recently received increased attention. They generally occur in association with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. They are often missed ("hidden lesions") due to the fact that they cannot be seen by routine anterior arthroscopic inspection. Furthermore, meniscosynovial lesions play a role in anteroposterior knee laxity and, as such, they may be a cause of failure of ACL reconstruction or of postoperative persistent laxity. Little information is available regarding their cause with respect to injury mechanism, natural history, biomechanical implications, healing potential and treatment options. This article presents an overview of the currently available knowledge of these ramp lesions, their possible pathomechanism, classification, biomechanical relevance as well as repair techniques.

[Imaging and preoperative planning for osteotomies around the knee]. / Bildgebung und präoperative Planung bei perigenikulären Osteotomien.

Physiologic alignment of the human lower leg is well defined. The etiology for malalignment comprises constitutional, degenerative and posttraumatic conditions. Osteotomies around the knee can correct the malalignment, provided that the origin of deviation is in proximity of the knee center. Crucial factors for the evaluation of axis deviation are the weight-bearing line, the mechanical axes of femur and tibia, the joint line angles and the center of the hip, knee and upper ankle joint. Careful preoperative planning is mandatory for reproducible clinical results. For the treatment of varus osteoarthritis of the knee, a slight overcorrection to the 62% width of the lateral tibial plateau is frequently advocated. In valgus knees, a correction of the postoperative weight-bearing line to physiologic conditions (44% of the lateral tibial width) is regarded to be sufficient. Recently, individualized planning of the correction angle is advocated to better address the underlying pathology of each patient.

A critical analysis of limb symmetry indices of hop tests in athletes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A case control study.

BACKGROUND: Hop tests are frequently used to determine return to sports (RTS) after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Given that bilateral deficits are present after ACLR, this may result in a falsely high limb symmetry index (LSI), since LSI is calculated as a ratio between the values of the limbs. HYPOTHESIS: Athletes after ACLR would achieve LSI>90% for the hop test. Secondly, athletes after ACLR demonstrate decreased jump distance on the single hop for distance (SLH) and triple leg hop for distance (TLH) and decreased number of hops for the side hop (SH) for both involved and uninvolved limbs compared to normative data of sex, age and type of sports matched healthy athletes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-two patients (38 males mean age 23.9±3.5years; 14 females mean age 21.7±3.5 years) who had undergone an ACLR participated in this study. Patients performed the 3 hop tests at a mean time of 7 months after ACLR. Hop distance, number of side hops and LSI were compared with normative data of 188 healthy athletes. RESULTS: The differences between the involved limb and the uninvolved limb were significant in all hop tests (SLH P=0.003, TLH P=0.003, SH P=0.018). For females, only significant between limb differences were found in the SLH (P=0.049). For both the SLH and the TLH, significant differences were found between the involved limb and the normative data (males; SLH P<0.001, TLH P<0.001; females; SLH P<0.001, TLH P=0.006) and between the uninvolved limb and the normative data for both males and females (males; SLH P<0.001, TLH P<0.001; females; SLH P=0.003, TLH P=0.038). For the SH, only significant differences were found between the involved limb and the normative values in males (P=0.033). CONCLUSION: Athletes who have undergone an ACLR demonstrate bilateral deficits on hop tests in comparison to age and sex matched normative data of healthy controls. Using the LSI may underestimate performance deficits and should therefore be analyzed with caution when used as a criterion for RTS after ACLR. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III, case control study.

Surgical management of degenerative meniscus lesions: the 2016 ESSKA meniscus consensus.

PURPOSE: A degenerative meniscus lesion is a slowly developing process typically involving a horizontal cleavage in a middle-aged or older person. When the knee is symptomatic, arthroscopic partial meniscectomy has been practised for a long time with many case series reporting improved patient outcomes. Since 2002, several randomised clinical trials demonstrated no additional benefit of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy compared to non-operative treatment, sham surgery or sham arthroscopic partial meniscectomy. These results introduced controversy in the medical community and made clinical decision-making challenging in the daily clinical practice. To facilitate the clinical decision-making process, a consensus was developed. This initiative was endorsed by ESSKA. METHODS: A degenerative meniscus lesion was defined as a lesion occurring without any history of significant acute trauma in a patient older than 35 years. Congenital lesions, traumatic meniscus tears and degenerative lesions occurring in young patients, especially in athletes, were excluded. The project followed the so-called formal consensus process, involving a steering group, a rating group and a peer-review group. A total of 84 surgeons and scientists from 22 European countries were included in the process. Twenty questions, their associated answers and an algorithm based on extensive literature review and clinical expertise, were proposed. Each question and answer set was graded according to the scientific level of the corresponding literature. RESULTS: The main finding was that arthroscopic partial meniscectomy should not be proposed as a first line of treatment for degenerative meniscus lesions. Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy should only be considered after a proper standardised clinical and radiological evaluation and when the response to non-operative management has not been satisfactory. Magnetic resonance imaging of the knee is typically not indicated in the first-line work-up, but knee radiography should be used as an imaging tool to support a diagnosis of osteoarthritis or to detect certain rare pathologies, such as tumours or fractures of the knee. DISCUSSION: The present work offers a clear framework for the management of degenerative meniscus lesions, with the aim to balance information extracted from the scientific evidence and clinical expertise. Because of biases and weaknesses of the current literature and lack of definition of important criteria such as mechanical symptoms, it cannot be considered as an exact treatment algorithm. It summarises the results of the "ESSKA Meniscus Consensus Project" ( http://www.esska.org/education/projects ) and is the first official European consensus on this topic. The consensus may be updated and refined as more high-quality evidence emerges. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: I.

Sport and early osteoarthritis: the role of sport in aetiology, progression and treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

Sports activities are considered favourable for general health; nevertheless, a possible influence of sports practice on the development of early osteoarthritis (OA) is a cause for concern. A higher incidence of OA in knees and ankles of former high-impact sports players than in those of the normal population has been shown and it is still debatable whether the cause is either to be recognized generically in the higher number of injuries or in a joint overload. The possibility to address knee OA in its early phases may be strictly connected to the modification of specific extrinsic or intrinsic factors, related to the patient in order to save the joint from further disease progression; these include sport practice, equipment and load. Non-surgical therapies such as continuative muscles reinforce and training play a strong role in the care of athletes with early OA, particularly if professional. There is an overall agreement on the need of an early restoring of a proper meniscal, ligament and cartilage integrity in order to protect the knee and resume sports safely, whereas alignment is a point still strongly debatable especially for professional athletes. Remaining questions still to be answered are the risks of different sports in relation to one another, although an actual protective effect of low-impact sports, such as walking, swimming or cycling, has been recognized on the appearance or worsening of OA, the effect of continuing or ceasing to practice a sport on the natural history of early OA, and even following appropriate treatment is still unknown.

There is no such thing like a single ACL injury: Profiles of ACL-injured patients.

BACKGROUND: Current ACL registries rarely include non-operatively treated patients thus delivering an incomplete picture of the ACL-injured population. The aim of this study was to get an image of the population and treatment decision of an intrahospital registry. Our hypotheses were that patient-specific subtypes can be identified and that the percentage of operated patients differs between them. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Three hundred and forty-six operated and non-operated patients were included from March 2011 to December 2013. Standardized questionnaires allowed for data collection on gender, age, sports practice and previous ACL injuries. Chi-square tests allowed to compare these parameters between genders and age groups. A cluster analysis was computed to determine profiles of patients with similar characteristics. RESULTS: Three age groups were considered (I: ≤20; II: 21-35; III: ≥36 years). For males, the highest frequency of injuries was noted in group II with a greater proportion of injuries compared to females. In group III, more females were injured than males. Before injury, 54% patients were involved in competitive sports. Males were more likely to be injured in pivoting/contact sports before 35 and females during recreational skiing after 35. Twenty-one percent of the patients had had a previous ACL injury. The percentage of surgical treatment was superior to 80% in patients under 35 years involved in competitive sports, of 60-80% for those not involved in competitive sports and inferior to 60% for patients above 35 years. DISCUSSION: Systematic data collection allowed to identify specific subtypes of ACL-injured patient according to gender, age, previous ACL injury and preinjury level of practice. The decision-making process for or against ACL reconstructions at time of presentation depended on these characteristics. Consideration of these parameters will serve as a basis for an individualized treatment approach and a better understanding of patients at risk for ACL injuries. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Promotion of physical activity in patients with non-communicable diseases in Luxembourg: a follow-up of the Sport-Sante inventory from 2014.

Regular practice of physical activity (PA) has many health benefits in both healthy individuals and in people with non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In order to disseminate this evidence and to strengthen the promotion of PA in people with NCDs, the Sport-Santé project was created in Luxembourg and officially launched in April 2015. In 2014, a stocktaking of the different organizations offering PA for people with NCDs was realized in order to develop the Sport-Santé project. Different communication tools were used to promote Sport-Santé as well as the aforementioned organizations. The present study aimed to re-evaluate the offers of PA for people with NCDs in Luxembourg one year after the launch of the project. The organizations offering PA for people with NCDs (orthopaedics, obesity and overweight, neurology and rare diseases, oncology and cardiology) were screened in 2014 and in 2016. The number of weekly offered hours of PA for people with NCDs were collected and the participation rate was observed. Participants (192 in 2014 and 196 in 2016) volunteered to answer a survey, which contained questions regarding their age, sex, time since enrolment, travel distance, former and current PA participation, and type of recruitment. Additional items regarding prescription and refund were explored only in 2016. In 2016, more than 55 hours per week of PA were offered for people with NCDs in Luxembourg (≈44 hours per week were identified in 2014). However, this increase was not statistically significant. No difference was observed between 2014 and 2016 regarding the participation rate (2014: 8.9 ± 5.1 participants per hour; 2016: 8.4 ± 5.7 participants per hour). Participants were younger in 2016 than in 2014. The time since enrolment was shorter in 2016 than in 2014. No difference between 2014 and 2016 was observed for travel distance, sex distribution, former and current PA participation, and type of recruitment. Participants were mainly recruited by the healthcare professionals. More than 69 % of the participants would like to receive a medical prescription for the PA. Fifty-two percent of the participants would appreciate a refund of the participation fees by their health insurance. The increasing efforts of Sport-Santé and the organizations offering PA for people with NCDs lead to increase the offer. However, the participation rate remains unchanged. The decrease in age and in time since enrolment observed in 2016 could be explained by the creation of new activities, a larger participant's turnover or high number of withdrawals among long-term participants. Even if participants are mainly recruited by healthcare professionals, this type of recruitment can be attributed to very few idealists. All healthcare professionals should be aware of the offers of Sport-Santé and advise their patients to participate in a PA program. It is now time to advance the idea of prescription of PA as a privileged treatment option and to convince the policymakers to take action against sedentary behaviours in Luxembourg. Nevertheless, this type of promotion is not enough to increase the number of participants and additional strategies must be explored and developed. The best sustainable strategies are always those that approach the problem from different viewpoints.

Analysis of short and long-term results of horizontal meniscal tears in young adults.

INTRODUCTION: Symptomatic horizontal meniscal tears are rare but worrisome lesions in young adults. These are overuse injuries not amenable to the classic arthroscopic sutures. An open meniscal repair allows the meniscal lesion to be suture vertically, perpendicular to its in the vascularized zone. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short and long-term clinical and radiological outcomes of the aforementioned surgical technique. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The first cohort consisted of 24 patients operated between 2009 and 2011 (6 women, 18 men; mean age 26years) having 11 lateral and 13 medial meniscal tears. The second cohort was of 10 patients operated between 2001 and 2002 (3 women, 7 men; mean age 24years) having 8 lateral and 2 medial meniscal tears. Patients were reviewed at the last follow-up using the IKDC, Lysholm and KOOS scores. Patients in the first cohort had an MRI, while those in the second cohort had X-rays. RESULTS: Eighteen patients in the first cohort were reviewed with a mean follow-up of 2 years (12-45 months) and 9 patients from the second cohort were reviewed after 10years (97-142 months). In the first cohort, one patient required secondary menisectomy. The mean Lysholm score was 90 and the subjective IKDC was 85. Every MRI examination found reduced extent and intensity of the hyperintense signal. In the second cohort, no patients required secondary meniscectomy. Two patients had joint space narrowing (less than 50%) on radiographs. The mean Lysholm score was 99 and the subjective IKDC was 91. CONCLUSION: Open repair of horizontal meniscal tears in young adults leads to good subjective and objective results in the short term, which are maintained in the long-term. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV - retrospective study.

Meniscal survival rate after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Meniscal suture provides well-documented benefits. Integrity of the cruciate ligaments of the knee is a prerequisite for meniscal healing. Nevertheless, reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) does not consistently prevent recurrent tearing of a sutured meniscus. We evaluated meniscal survival rates, 5 and 10 years after meniscal suture concomitant with an ACL reconstruction. We compared the outcomes of these repaired menisci to those in which no menisci tears were detected during ACL reconstruction. METHODS: In this multi-centric retrospective study, we included two groups. One group consists of patients who underwent a meniscal repair. This group was further divided into two subgroups based on whether follow-up was 5 years (n=76) or 10 years (n=39). The control group included 120 patients with normal menisci observed during surgery. We studied meniscal survival rates in each group, and we analyzed risk factors associated with the recurrence of meniscal lesions. RESULTS: The 5-year meniscal survival rate was significantly higher in the control group than in the meniscal-repair group (95% vs. 80%, respectively; P=0.0029). The controls group also had a higher meniscal survival rate after 10 years, although the difference was not statistically significant (88% vs. 77%, P=0.07). A difference in knee laxity greater than 4mm was associated with a 5-fold increase in the risk of recurrent meniscal tears (P=0.0057). After 5 years, the risk of recurrence was higher for the medial than for the lateral meniscus, whereas after 10 years the difference was no longer statistically significant. DISCUSSION: Although insufficient healing after meniscal suturing contributes to the risk of further meniscal tears, new lesions can develop in menisci that were undamaged at the time of ACL reconstruction. The risk of a new meniscal lesion is strongly associated with inadequate control of antero-posterior and rotational laxity. Some apparently "new menisci lesions" seems to have been missed during ACL reconstruction. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV, retrospective study.