Camp, Christopher L.

Background: Treatment of ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tears with suture tape augmentation has gained interest given preliminary reports of favorable biomechanical characteristics. No study to date has quantitatively assessed the biomechanical effects of multiple augmentation techniques relative to the native UCL. Purpose: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled laboratory studies to assess and comparatively rank biomechanical effects of UCL repair or reconstruction with or without augmentation. Study Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: PubMed, OVID/Medline, and Cochrane databases were queried in January 2023. A frequentist network meta-analytic approach was used to perform mixed-treatment comparisons of UCL repair and reconstruction techniques with and without augmentation, with the native UCL as the reference condition. Pooled treatment estimates were quantified under the random-effects assumption. Competing treatments were ranked in the network meta-analysis by using point estimates and standard errors to calculate P scores (greater P score indicates superiority of treatment for given outcome). Results: Ten studies involving 206 elbow specimens in which a distal UCL tear was simulated were included. UCL reconstruction with suture tape augmentation (AugRecon) restored load to failure to a statistically noninferior magnitude (mean difference [MD], –1.99 N·m; 95% CI, –10.2 to 6.2 N·m; P = .63) compared with the native UCL. UCL reconstruction (Recon) (MD, –12.7 N·m; P < .001) and UCL repair with suture tape augmentation (AugRepair) (MD, –14.8 N·m; P < .001) were both statistically inferior to the native UCL. The AugRecon condition conferred greater load to failure compared with Recon ( P < .001) and AugRepair ( P = .002) conditions. AugRecon conferred greater torsional stiffness relative to all other conditions and was not statistically different from the native UCL (MD, 0.32 N·m/deg; 95% CI, –0.30 to 0.95 N·m/deg; P = .31). Medial ulnohumeral gapping was not statistically different for the AugRepair (MD, 0.30 mm; 95% CI, –1.22 to 1.82 mm; P = .70), AugRecon (MD, 0.57 mm; 95% CI, –0.70 to 1.84 mm; P = .38), or Recon (MD, 1.02 mm; 95% CI, –0.02 to 2.05 mm; P = .055) conditions compared with the native UCL. P-score analysis indicated that AugRecon was the most effective treatment for increasing ultimate load to failure and torsional stiffness, whereas AugRepair was the most effective for minimizing medial gapping. Conclusion: AugRecon restored load to failure and torsional stiffness most similar to the parameters of the native UCL, whereas Recon and AugRepair did not restore the same advantageous properties at time zero. Medial ulnohumeral gapping during a valgus load was minimized by all 3 treatments. Based on network interactions, AugRecon was the superior treatment approach for restoring important biomechanical features of the UCL at time zero that are jeopardized during a complete distal tear.

Background: Irreparable rotator cuff tears represent approximately 12% of all presenting cuff tears, and multiple surgical techniques have been described for treatment, including allograft/bridge augmentation, debridement, partial repair, subacromial balloon, tendon transfer, and superior capsule reconstruction (SCR). SCR has demonstrated durable improvement in range of motion (ROM) and outcome scores at 2 and 5 years. Indications: Surgical indications for SCR include an irreparable tear of the supraspinatus and/or infraspinatus with a preserved or reparable subscapularis and preserved glenohumeral joint cartilage. Technique Description: Diagnostic arthroscopy is performed to identify and characterize the rotator cuff tear. Thorough debridement of the greater tuberosity is performed. Two all-suture FiberTak anchors are placed in the superior aspect of the glenoid. Two 2.6-mm FiberTak suture anchors are placed in the humeral head at the chondral margin. After measuring, the dermal allograft is cut to size with 15-mm overhang left on the far lateral edge. A 12-mm passport cannula is inserted laterally and the sutures from the glenoid and humeral head anchors are brought out through the cannula maintaining their position and orientation. The sutures are passed through the graft outside the cannula. The graft is introduced into the shoulder via the passport cannula with a back grasper. A cannula-in-cannula technique is used to tie the glenoid anchors first and then the medial row anchors. Two lateral row swivel lock anchors are used to complete a standard double row repair. Margin convergence is performed between the dermal allograft and remaining rotator cuff anterior and posterior. Postoperatively, patients are kept in a sling for 6 weeks, with no shoulder ROM. From weeks 6 to 12, patients discontinue sling and begin passive progression to active ROM. Strengthening is initiated at 12 weeks, and return-to-sport or work is at approximately 6 months. Results: Irreparable rotator cuff tears treated with arthroscopic rotator cuff repair and SCR show durable improvement in patient-reported outcomes at 2 and 5 years. Re-tear rates did not differ between athletes and non-athletes. Discussion/Conclusion: Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with SCR is a durable and reliable surgical option for patients presenting with preserved glenohumeral joint and irreparable supraspinatus and/or infraspinatus tear. Patient Consent Disclosure Statement: The author(s) attests that consent has been obtained from any patient(s) appearing in this publication. If the individual may be identifiable, the author(s) has included a statement of release or other written form of approval from the patient(s) with this submission for publication.

Background: Medial-sided elbow injuries are becoming increasingly common among throwing athletes due to overuse and increased specialization at early ages. High valgus stress and repetitive elbow flexion/extension during throwing not only affects the ligaments and dynamic support of the elbow, but commonly affects the ulnar nerve. Indications: Management of cubital tunnel syndrome is initially rest, therapy, and functional training; however, if conservative measures do not appropriately address the ulnar neuropathy, surgical decompression with subcutaneous transposition is a reliable treatment option. Technique Description: An incision is created over the medial epicondyle. The medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve is identified and protected. The ulnar nerve is identified and tagged with a vessel loop to allow for appropriate handling of the nerve. Decompression of the ulnar nerve begins proximally by spreading the tissues superficial to the ulnar nerve and splitting the fascia overlying it. Then, dissection deep to the nerve is performed. A small strip of the medial intermuscular septum will be used as a sling to hold the nerve securely in the transposed position. This is released proximally and the distal attachment to the medial epicondyle is left in place. Decompression is then continued distally by releasing the superficial fascia over the flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) and a portion of the deep FCU muscle belly and fascia. The nerve is decompressed circumferentially, while preserving penetrating branches to the FCU as able. Ultimately, the ulnar nerve is decompressed 10 cm proximal and 10 cm distal to the medial epicondyle. The intermuscular septum is then pulled over the nerve, checked for appropriate length, and sutured in place both posterior and anterior to the ulnar nerve. Results: Symptom improvement after decompression and transposition is high (>90%); however, performance outcomes in overhead and throwing athletes is variable, and return to previous or higher level of play ranges from 60% to 90%. Discussion/Conclusion: Ulnar nerve decompression and transposition can reliably address underlying symptoms, but results are mixed for return to sport outcomes in overhead and throwing athletes. Patient Consent Disclosure Statement: The author(s) attests that consent has been obtained from any patient(s) appearing in this publication. If the individual may be identifiable, the author(s) has included a statement of release or other written form of approval from the patient(s) with this submission for publication.

Abstract Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using the quadriceps tendon (QT) autograft is an increasingly utilized technique that confers less donor site morbidity and comparable outcomes to other historically used graft options. The graft harvest and implantation process present vast variability—particularly regarding the achievement of adequate graft site visualization, consistently attaining a uniform and appropriately sized graft, and subsequent reconstruction of the ACL with the all‐soft tissue graft. The purpose of this Technical Note and video is to describe and demonstrate minimally invasive quadriceps tendon autograft harvesting using the Quadriceps Tendon Harvest Guide System (QUADTRAC), and its subsequent implantation within a single‐bundle ACL reconstruction with suspensory fixation. Technique Video video See video under supplementary data.

Purpose To perform a systematic review of the literature to evaluate (1) activity level and knee function, (2) reoperation and failure rates, and (3) risk factors for reoperation and failure of autologous osteochondral transfer (AOT) at long‐term follow‐up. Methods A comprehensive review of the long‐term outcomes of AOT was performed. Studies reported on activity‐based outcomes (Tegner Activity Scale) and clinical outcomes (Lysholm score and International Knee Documentation Committee score). Reoperation and failure rates as defined by the publishing authors were recorded for each study. Modified Coleman Methodology Scores were calculated to assess study methodological quality. Results Twelve studies with a total of 495 patients and an average age of 32.5 years at the time of surgery and a mean follow‐up of 15.1 years (range, 10.4‐18.0 years) were included. The mean defect size was 3.2 cm 2 (range, 1.9‐6.9 cm 2 ). The mean duration of symptoms before surgery was 5.1 years. Return to sport rates ranged from 86% to 100%. Conversion to arthroplasty rates ranged from 0% to 16%. The average preoperative International Knee Documentation Committee scores ranged from 32.9 to 36.8, and the average postoperative International Knee Documentation Committee scores at final follow‐up ranged from 66.3 to 77.3. The average preoperative Lysholm scores ranged from 44.5 to 56.0 and the average postoperative Lysholm scores ranged from 70.0 to 96.5. The average preoperative Tegner scores ranged from 2.5 to 3.0, and the average postoperative scores ranged from 4.1 to 7.0. Conclusions AOT of the knee resulted in high rates of return to sport with correspondingly low rates of conversion to arthroplasty at long‐term follow‐up. In addition, AOT demonstrated significant improvements in long‐term patient‐reported outcomes from baseline. Level of Evidence Level IV, systematic review of Level I‐IV studies.

Abstract Quadriceps tendon autografts are an increasingly popular choice for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, with decreased donor‐site morbidity alongside good patient outcomes. Although harvesting of the tendon can be done in a minimally invasive fashion, this introduces some difficulty with visualization and consistency of graft sizing. The purpose of this Technical Note and video is to provide a method of quadriceps tendon autograft harvesting using the Quadriceps Tendon Harvest Guide System (QUADTRAC) in a single‐bundle ACL reconstruction. Technique Video video See video under supplementary data.

Purpose To describe the clinical and radiographic features associated with isolated hypermobile lateral meniscus (HLM), and report patient outcomes following surgically repaired isolated HLM. Methods All patients diagnosed with HLM from 2000 to 2020 at a single academic institution were identified and reviewed. Patients were excluded if they had concomitant ligament injury or lacked 2‐year follow‐up. Preoperative and postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores were determined from clinical notes. Statistical analysis was performed in JMP, and statistical significance was determined with use of a paired t ‐test. Results Eighteen knees in 17 patients met inclusion criteria. Mean patient age was 24.1 (range: 6‐61) years. Mean follow‐up was 73 months (25‐151 months). All 18 knees reported pain at presentation; 94% (17/18) had mechanical symptoms. All 18 knees had preoperative MRIs, but only 1 (5.6%) knee was correctly diagnosed by a musculoskeletal trained radiologist. Most repairs were performed with an all‐inside technique (61%, 11/18). VAS score improved significantly from 7.2 ± 2.9 preoperatively to 0.7 ± 1.9 postoperatively, with average improvement of VAS score of 6.5 ( P < .001). Only one (5.6%) knee required revision meniscal surgery. Conclusions Hypermobile lateral meniscus patients commonly see multiple providers, fail to have their HLM diagnosed on MRI, and undergo various treatments prior to a successful diagnosis. Localized lateral joint line pain, mechanical symptoms, and absence of distinct meniscus tear on MRI are the most frequent clinical presentations. Surgery with meniscus repair is a reliable solution to improve pain and mechanical symptoms. Level of Evidence Level IV, therapeutic case series.

Purpose To develop a machine learning model capable of identifying subscapularis tears before surgery based on imaging and physical examination findings. Methods Between 2010 and 2020, 202 consecutive shoulders underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair by a single surgeon. Patient demographics, physical examination findings (including range of motion, weakness with internal rotation, lift/push‐off test, belly press test, and bear hug test), and imaging (including direct and indirect signs of tearing, biceps status, fatty atrophy, cystic changes, and other similar findings) were included for model creation. Results Sixty percent of the shoulders had partial or full thickness tears of the subscapularis verified during surgery (83% of these were upper third). Using only preoperative imaging‐related parameters, the XGBoost model demonstrated excellent performance at predicting subscapularis tears (c‐statistic, 0.84; accuracy, 0.85; F1 score, 0.87). The top 5 features included direct signs related to the presence of tearing as evidenced on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (changes in tendon morphology and signal), as well as the quality of the MRI and biceps pathology. Conclusions In this study, machine learning was successful in predicting subscapularis tears by MRI alone in 85% of patients, and this accuracy did not decrease by isolating the model to the top features. The top five features included direct signs related to the presence of tearing as evidenced on MRI (changes in tendon morphology and signal), as well as the quality of the MRI and biceps pathology. Last, in advanced modeling, the addition of physical examination or patient characteristics did not make a significant difference in the predictive ability of this model. Level of Evidence Level III, diagnostic case‐control study.

Objectives: An increased posterior tibial slope (PTS) corresponds with an increased risk of graft failure following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Validated methods of human PTS measurements are subject to interobserver variability and can be inefficient on large-scale sets of images. The purpose of this study is to develop a deep learning artificial intelligence technique for the automated measurement of PTS from standard lateral knee radiographs. Methods: A deep learning U-Net model was developed on a cohort of 300 postoperative short leg lateral radiographs from ACLR patients to segment the tibial shaft, tibial joint surface, and tibial tuberosity. The model was trained via a random split following an 80:20 train-validation scheme. Masks for training images were manually segmented and the model was trained for 400 epochs. An image processing pipeline was then deployed to annotate and measure the PTS using the predicted segmentation masks. Finally, the performance of this combined pipeline was compared to human measurements performed by two study personnel using a previously validated manual technique for measuring PTS on short leg lateral radiographs on an independent test-set consisting of both preoperative and postoperative images. Results: The U-Net semantic segmentation model achieved a mean Dice similarity coefficient of 0.885 on the validation cohort. The mean difference between human-made and computer-vision measurements was 1.92⁰ (σ = 2.81⁰, P=0.24). Extreme disagreements between human and machine measurements as defined by differences ≥5⁰ occurred less than 5% of the time. The model was incorporated into a web based digital application for demonstration purposes which can provide measurement of an uploaded image in portable network graphics format in less than 5 seconds. Conclusions: We developed an accurate and reliable deep learning computer vision algorithm to automate the measurement of PTS on lateral knee radiographs. This tool will be deployed for clinical use on an institution-wide basis and, pending external validation, be made available to outside orthopaedic surgeons. This will provide an efficient and accurate tool to measure PTS during the preoperative assessment of ACL-injured patients.

Purpose The purposes of this study were to determine the incidence and key characteristics of meniscus injuries in professional baseball players, assess current treatment strategies, determine the return to play rates at any level (RTP) and at the same level (RSL), and identify prognostic factors that predict injury severity. Methods After approval from the Major League Baseball (MLB) Research Committee and our institutional review board, the MLB Health and Injury Tracking System was used to identify meniscus injuries occurring across MLB and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) from 2011 to 2017. Analyzed injuries occurred during normal baseball activity in a player who was active on an MLB or MiLB roster and resulted in at least 1 day missed. Results A total of 293 professional baseball players sustained 314 meniscus injuries from 2011 to 2017 (7 years) for a mean of 44.9 injuries/y. Pitchers were the most injured position (31.8%), followed by infielders (26.4%). Catchers and infielders missed the most median number of days (50 days). When comparing injuries to landing leg vs push‐off leg in pitchers, injury to the push‐off leg resulted in significantly more days missed per injury compared to the lead leg (59.6 vs 39.9 days, P = .048). Overall, RTP was 93.0%, while RSL was 84.4%. Conclusions Over 7 professional baseball seasons, 314 meniscus injuries occurred in 293 players. Pitchers and catchers were most injured, and overall, the number of meniscal injuries per year declined while the percentage of injuries that required surgery increased over time. High rates of RTP were observed. Level of Evidence Level IV, therapeutic case series.