Meniscus Repair and Replacement.

The importance of preserving the function of the meniscus is seen with renewed interest. There has been an evolution of arthroscopic meniscus repair from inside-out, outside-in, meniscal fixators, to all-inside suturing techniques. Tear patterns once ignored or thought to be irreparable, such as root tears and horizontal cleavage tears, have recently been undergoing repair with promising results.

Injury Rate and Patterns Among CrossFit Athletes.

Background: CrossFit is a type of competitive exercise program that has gained widespread recognition. To date, there have been no studies that have formally examined injury rates among CrossFit participants or factors that may contribute to injury rates.

Purpose: To establish an injury rate among CrossFit participants and to identify trends and associations between injury rates and demographic categories, gym characteristics, and athletic abilities among CrossFit participants.

Comparison of the collagen meniscus implant with partial meniscectomy. A prospective randomized trial.

Background: Loss of meniscal tissue leads to increased pain and decreased clinical function and activity levels. We hypothesized that patients receiving a collagen meniscus implant would have better clinical outcomes than patients treated with partial medial meniscectomy alone.

Methods: Three hundred and eleven patients with an irreparable injury of the medial meniscus or a previous partial medial meniscectomy, treated by a total of twenty-six surgeon-investigators at sixteen sites, were enrolled in the study.

Arthroscopic evaluation of radiofrequency chondroplasty of the knee.

Background: Considerable debate exists over the use of radiofrequency-based chondroplasty to treat partial-thickness chondral defects of the knee. This study used second-look arthroscopy to evaluate cartilage defects previously treated with bipolar radiofrequency-based chondroplasty.

Hypothesis: Partial-thickness articular cartilage lesions treated with bipolar radiofrequency-based chondroplasty will show no progressive deterioration.

Influence of anticipation on movement patterns in subjects with ACL deficiency classified as noncopers.

Study Design: Two-factor, mixed experimental design.

Objectives: To compare movement patterns of subjects who are anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficient and classified as noncopers to controls during early stance of anticipated and unanticipated straight and cutting tasks.

Background: Altered neuromuscular control of subjects that are ACL deficient and noncoper theoretically influences movement patterns during unanticipated tasks.

Analysis of EMG patterns of control subjects and subjects with ACL deficiency during an unanticipated walking cut task.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the muscle activation patterns of the vastus lateralis (VL), medial hamstrings (MH) and lateral hamstrings (LH) associated with subjects that were anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficient and controls.

Methods: A total of 54 subjects participated in this study including 25 ACL deficient subjects subdivided into copers (n=9) and non-copers (n=16) using clinical criteria. Muscle activation patterns were recorded at 1000 Hz during an unanticipated side step cut task.

Comparison of frontal plane trunk kinematics and hip and knee moments during anticipated and unanticipated walking and side step cutting tasks.

Background: Frontal plane trunk and lower extremity adjustments during unanticipated tasks are hypothesized to influence hip and knee neuromuscular control, and therefore, contribute to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk. The aims of this study were to examine frontal plane trunk/hip kinematics and hip and knee moments (measures of neuromuscular control) during unanticipated straight and side step cut tasks.

Methods: Kinematic and kinetic variables were collected while subjects performed two anticipated tasks, including walking straight (ST) and side step cutting (SS), and two unanticipated tasks (STU and SSU).

Knee and hip angle and moment adaptations during cutting tasks in subjects with anterior cruciate ligament deficiency classified as noncopers.

Study Design: Two-factor mixed-design study, with factors including group (control and noncoper) and task (sidestep, crossover, and straight).

Objectives: To compare the knee and hip joint angles and moments of control subjects and subjects with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficient knee classified as noncopers, during a sidestep, crossover, and straight-ahead task.

Background: Subjects with ACL deficiency primarily note difficulty with cutting tasks as opposed to straight-ahead tasks.

Second-look arthroscopic observations after radiofrequency treatment of partial thickness articular cartilage defects in human knees: report of four cases.

Partial thickness articular cartilage defects in the knee are commonly encountered clinical problems. Recently, use of radiofrequency-based devices for performing arthroscopic chondroplasty has gained popularity. However, published experimental studies using different methods for evaluating the histologic effects of radiofrequency-chondroplasty on surrounding cartilage offer contradictory results.

Results of repeat meniscal repair.

Background: The efficacy of repeat repair of retorn menisci has not been demonstrated.

Purpose: To document clinical and radiographic results of repeat repair of retorn menisci that had previously undergone primary repair.

Study Design: Uncontrolled retrospective review.

Arthrofibrosis of the knee following ligament surgery.

Arthrofibrosis of the knee is one of the most serious complications that can result from ligament surgery. Reported incidence of arthrofibrosis following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction ranges from 4% to 35%. The loss of motion caused by arthrofibrosis can be even more disabling than the instability for which the reconstruction was performed, often requiring extensive physical therapy and/or surgical lysis of adhesions.

Meniscus repair: considerations in treatment and update of clinical results.

The meniscus plays an important role in the function of the knee. Preservation of the meniscus is preferred if possible when considering treatment of a meniscus tear. A thorough understanding of the anatomy of the meniscus, the structure, the mechanics, and other factors of meniscal healing are critical when evaluating the torn meniscus for a reparative procedure.