Arthroscopy News

Among patients who underwent opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy, postoperative mechanical axis, which may be the result of overcorrection, was linked to patellofemoral degenerative progression.

According to recently published results, there was a significant correlation between intra-articular corticosteroid injections within 4 weeks of surgery and an increased risk of infection in private payer and Medicare patients after knee arthroscopy compared with patients who received steroid injections more than 4 weeks postoperatively and those who did not receive injections.

Partial knee replacement was associated with an excess risk for long-term revision compared with total knee replacement, but may lower risk for venous thromboembolism in the short term and lower risk for persistent pain after surgery, according to data presented at the EULAR Annual Congress.

Meniscus repair is being done more frequently and applied to tear patterns that just a few years ago were thought to be irreparable. However, instrumentation may be expensive and repair techniques require advanced arthroscopic skills. In some cases of mid-third and anterior-third tears, repair can be done with little added instrumentation and by anyone who can do basic knee arthroscopy. I have successfully used this technique to treat mid-third and anterior-third meniscus tears for about 15 years. The procedure is easy to perform and is inexpensive because it uses equipment commonly found in most ORs. The technique allows the surgeon to do many of the more complicated steps outside the knee rather than requiring more technically difficult maneuvers inside the joint.

A healthy, active 35-year-old man presented 5 days following a non-contact right knee injury sustained while playing soccer. He described planting his foot, feeling his knee “shift” and hearing two loud pops, which caused him to fall. The man was initially evaluated at an outside institution where radiographs of the right knee were deemed negative for fracture. He was told to follow up with an orthopedic surgeon for further evaluation.

LISBON, Portugal — Two techniques studied by investigators to repair the lateral ligaments of the ankle both effectively restored ankle stability, an orthopedic surgeon from Portugal said.

According to recently published results, 97% of dancers were able to return to dance at an average of 6.9 months after hip arthroscopy. Compared with their preoperative status, most dancers danced at a higher level following surgery.

The medial meniscus root attachment plays an integral role in resisting hoop stresses across the tibiofemoral joint, and disruption of the posterior root has been shown to be biomechanically equivalent to a complete meniscectomy. Disruption of the medial meniscus root results in meniscal extrusion, which can alter knee kinematics and lead to progressive, rapid articular cartilage degeneration. Tears of the posterior medial root attachment are typically either traumatic or degenerative. Traumatic tears frequently occur in young patients with concomitant knee ligamentous injuries and are more frequently true avulsions of the root attachment. This is contrasted with degenerative tears that occur during low-energy injuries and are more often full-thickness radial tears located within 1 cm of the root attachment.

A 19-year-old woman presented with a 5-year history of left hip pain and dysfunction. She first noticed pain and popping sensations in her left hip at age 13 years when she was involved in competitive track and field. After failing conservative management, she underwent left hip arthroscopy with an iliopsoas release and femoral head microfracture at an outside institution. The patient had several months of relief following the procedure, however her symptoms returned and worsened in subsequent years. Currently, she reports groin pain with nearly all activity and experiences mechanical popping sensations with deep flexion. She continues to perform home stretching and strengthening exercises, which provide no resolution of her pain. She is unable to run and has trouble with walking for prolonged periods. There is no past medical history of significance except a history of nickel allergy. The patient does not use nicotine. Her medications include over-the-counter NSAIDs that provide minimal relief.

ORLANDO — Patients who received corticosteroid injection 2 to 4 weeks after simple knee arthroscopy procedures were associated with a higher rate of complications related to infection, according to results presented here.