Vij, Neeraj

Background: Patellofemoral dislocations are often associated with chondral injuries. In adults, diagnostic arthroscopy (DA) has identified chondral injuries in up to one-third of cases where magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was negative. However, the value of DA in detecting cartilage injuries in pediatric patients undergoing medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction (MPFLR) has not been well studied. Purposes: To evaluate the utility of DA in diagnosing cartilaginous injuries in pediatric patients undergoing MPFLR with negative preoperative MRI findings and to compare postoperative outcomes between patients with and without chondral injury findings on DA. Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on patients aged 0 to 18 years who underwent combined MPFLR and DA procedures from 2015 to 2023 at a single institution. The exclusion criteria were as follows: revision MPFLR; tibial tubercle osteotomy; multiligament reconstructions; and previous meniscal injury. MRI and DA reports were reviewed for chondral findings. Patients were classified into 3 groups: +MRI/+DA, –MRI/+DA, and –MRI/–DA. Subgroup analysis was performed within the –MRI/+DA group to compare outcomes in the immediate postoperative recovery period between those who underwent a chondroplasty versus those who did not. Results: Of the 155 patients included, follow-up averaged 7.8 months (median, 5 months [range, 0-41 months]). Among 89 patients with negative MRI findings, 39 (43.8%) had chondral injuries detected on DA. Targeted treatment was performed in 22 (56.4%) of these patients, a lower rate than in those with positive MRI findings (80.3%; P = .02). No significant differences were observed in knee flexion at 2 weeks postoperatively: +MRI/+DA (77.9°± 23°), –MRI/+DA (66.5°± 30.2°), and –MRI/–DA (73.3°± 30°) ( P = .14). Similarly, no significant differences were found at 12 weeks: +MRI/+DA (135.3°± 13°), –MRI/+DA (127.8°± 21°), and –MRI/–DA (134.1°± 13.4°) ( P = .10). Range of motion and complication rates were comparable across all groups ( P > .05). A subgroup analysis in the –MRI/+DA cohort comparing patients who underwent an arthroscopic procedure (n = 22) with those who did not (n = 17) showed no significant differences in range of motion or complication rates ( P > .05). Conclusion: Diagnostic arthroscopy detected cartilaginous injuries in 43.8% of pediatric patients with negative preoperative MRI undergoing MPFLR. This highlights the diagnostic value of DA in identifying injuries that would otherwise remain undetected.

Background: There is limited evidence related to the effects of autograft type on functional performance after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Purpose/Hypothesis: This study aimed to compare biomechanical outcomes during a drop vertical jump (DVJ) between patients with a hamstring tendon (HT) autograft, quadriceps tendon (QT) autograft with bone block, QT autograft without bone block, and bone–patellar tendon–bone autograft at 6 months postoperatively in an adolescent population. The authors’ hypothesized there would be differences in DVJ biomechanics between athletes depending on the type of autograft used. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Patients aged 8 to 18 years who underwent primary ACLR were included for analysis. Kinematic and kinetic data collected during a DVJ using a 3-dimensional computerized marker system were assessed at 6 months after ACLR and compared with the uninjured contralateral limb. Results: A total of 155 participants were included. There were no significant differences in terms of age, sex, or affected leg ( P≥ .1973) between groups. The HT group was significantly associated with a larger knee valgus moment at initial contact compared with the QT group (28 × 10 –2 vs −35 × 10 –2 N·m/kg, respectively; P = .0254) and a significantly larger maximum hip adduction moment compared with the QT with bone block group (30 × 10 –2 vs −4 × 10 –2 N·m/kg, respectively; P = .0426). Both the QT with bone block (–12 × 10 –2 vs −3 × 10 –2 N·m/kg, respectively; P = .0265) and QT (–13 × 10 –2 vs −3 × 10 –2 N·m/kg, respectively; P = .0459) groups demonstrated significantly decreased mean knee extension moments compared with the HT group. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that utilizing an HT autograft resulted in a significantly increased knee valgus moment at initial contact compared with a QT autograft without bone block at 6 months after ACLR in adolescent patients performing a DVJ. A QT autograft was found to be associated with significantly decreased extensor mechanism function compared with an HT autograft. Clinical Relevance: This study adds unique kinematic and kinetic information regarding various ACLR autograft options and highlights the biomechanical deficits that should be taken into consideration in rehabilitation.

Objectives: To describe outcomes of posterior capsular release to treat knee extension deficits after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in athletes. Methods: A retrospective review was performed between January 2014 and December 2019 for patients undergoing arthroscopic posterior capsular release for knee extension loss following ACL reconstruction. Patients were indicated for the procedure if they had greater than 10° of extension loss at least three months after ACL reconstruction that was refractory to physical therapy. Patients were included in the study if they were involved in either high school or college athletics, had complete outcomes of interest, and had at least two years of follow up. Collected outcomes included preoperative and postoperative measurement of knee extension, international knee documentation committee (IKDC) score, Lysholm score, return to sport data, and complications. Results: Over the study period a total of 38 arthroscopic posterior capsular releases were performed. Of these, 20 were high school or college athletes. Two of these patients did not have 2-year follow up, leaving a total of 18 patients included in the analysis. Patients underwent surgery at an average of 16 weeks after ACL reconstruction. Knee extension improved an average of 13.8° at 2-years follow up (pre- release extension deficit 15.1°, post-release extension deficit 1.3°, p < 0.005). Improvements in the IKDC score averaged 21.7 at 6 months and 35.0 at 24 months, both of which were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Similarly, differences in Lysholm included a significant improvement of 23.0 and 34.2 at 6 months and 2 years, respectively (p < 0.001). In total, 77.8% returned to sport at an average of 9.8 months from their primary surgery and 6.5 months following posterior capsular release surgery. Complications included one patient that required revision capsular release for persistent extension loss, one ACL tear of the ipsilateral knee, and two ACL tears of the contralateral knee. No infections or neurovascular injuries occurred. Conclusions: Knee extension loss after ligamentous repair surgery can have significant consequences including diminished patient satisfaction, reduced return to sport, and an increased risk of osteoarthritis development. Although arthroscopic posterior capsular release is a recognized treatment for knee extension loss, outcomes have not been reported in athletes. In our series, arthroscopic posterior capsular release resulted in significant improvement of knee extension and patient reported outcome scores at 6 month and 2 years postoperatively. Additionally, the procedure appears to be safe with few complications and only 5.6% of patients requiring repeat arthroscopy for knee extension loss. Posterior capsular release appears to be a reliable and safe treatment for athletes with persistent knee extension loss after ACL reconstruction.

Objectives: Evidence is limited related to the effects of autograft type on functional performance during gait lab-based functional testing after ACL reconstruction (ACLR), especially the quadriceps autograft. The goal of this study was to compare biomechanical outcomes as measured by 3D motion analysis during the drop vertical test between quadriceps autograft with bone block (QB), quadriceps autograft without bone block (Q), hamstring autograft (HS), and bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft (BTB) six-months postoperatively in an adolescent population. We hypothesized that the quadriceps groups would demonstrate decreased knee extension moments as compared to the hamstring autograft group without other significant differences. Methods: Patients aged 8-18 years who underwent primary ACLR were included. Patients with previous history of ipsilateral knee surgery were excluded. Kinematic and kinetic data collected during a drop vertical jump test in a formal gait lab using a computerized video-based system (Motion Analysis Corp. CORTEX software) was collected six months after ACLR and compared to the uninjured contralateral limb. The Kruskal Wallis test and subsequent pairwise comparisons were carried out for each studied parameter. Primary outcomes included transverse plane hip power, hip internal rotation moment, knee valgus angles, and knee extensor moments between the graft types. Secondary outcomes included hip abduction moment, knee valgus moment, and knee external rotation moment. Results: A total of 155 subjects’ charts were included for review, with 54, 40, 35, and 26 subjects in the HS, QB, Q, and BTB groups respectively. There were no significant differences in terms of age, sex, or affected leg (p > 0.1973). Athletic activity for each subject was also noted when appropriate, including soccer (37), basketball (34), and American football (30). The QB group had smaller knee extension moments maximums (-0.97 N*m/kg vs. -0.35 N*m/kg, p = 0.0323) and smaller knee extension moment averages (-0.12 N*m/kg vs. -0.03 N*m/kg, p = 0.0265) as compared to the HS group. The Q group demonstrated smaller knee extension moment averages (-0.13 N*m/kg vs. -0.03 N*m/kg, p = 0.459) as compared to the HS group. Analysis of secondary outcomes revealed that the HS group demonstrated larger knee valgus moments at initial contact (0.28 N*m/kg vs -0.35 N*m/kg, p = 0.0254) as compared to the Q group. The HS group demonstrated significantly larger hip adduction moment maximums (0.30 N*m/kg vs -0.04 N*m/kg, p = 0.0426) and smaller knee external rotation moment averages (-0.02 N*m/kg vs 0.02 N*m/kg, p = 0.0206) as compared to the QB group. No other secondary outcomes were statistically significant between any of the groups. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that the quadriceps autograft may confer improved knee coronal plane biomechanics in regard to ACL reinjury rates when compared to a hamstring autograft at 6 months after ACLR in adolescent patients performing a drop vertical jump. The hamstring autograft group was significantly associated with larger knee valgus moments at initial contact as compared to the quadriceps autograft without bone block and significantly larger hip adduction moments compared to the quadriceps autograft with bone block. Both quadriceps grafts were shown to demonstrate significantly decreased knee extension moments as compared to a hamstring autograft. Further long-term clinical studies may be useful in determining whether the apparent biomechanical differences seen between autograft types are correlated with reinjury rates.