A reproducible landmark for the tibial tunnel origin in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: avoiding a vertical graft in the coronal plane.

Improper tunnel placement during anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction may result in residual instability. Proper femoral tunnel orientation relies on tibial tunnel placement with a transtibial technique. Our recommended technique is to use the junction of the anterior border of the superficial medial collateral ligament and the superior border of the gracilis tendon as a reproducible anatomic landmark for the tibial tunnel.

Predicting morbidity and mortality of lumbar spine arthrodesis in patients in their ninth decade.

Study Design: All patients aged 80 years or older, treated surgically for lumbar spine disorders from 1996 to 2001, were analyzed in a retrospective case series. The purpose of this study was to determine if higher than expected morbidity and mortality was observed for patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery in their ninth decade of life, and if any preoperative factors correlated with this outcome.

Objective: To determine how comorbidity affected surgical morbidity and mortality in patients older than 80 years.