Publications by authors named "Raphael Serra Cruz"

The literature has shown a significant decrease in failure rates when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction was associated with an extra-articular reinforcement technique such as the anterolateral ligament (ALL) or the iliotibial band tenodesis (ITBT) using the modified Lemaire technique. As much as there is a progressive decrease in the failure rates of ACL reconstructions when the ALL reconstruction technique is associated, there are still and will be cases that will result in graft rupture. These cases will require more alternatives for revision, which are always challenging for the surgeon, where the lateral approaches represent complicating factors, especially because of the distortion of the lateral anatomy (by the previous approach for ALL reconstruction), previous reconstruction tunnels, and the presence of fixation materials.

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Symptomatic articular cartilage injuries are often seen in young active patients and athletes. Magnetic resonance imaging screening examinations have frequently identified such lesions in athletic patients. Patellofemoral chondral defects were previously identified as the most common knee cartilage lesion in high-level athletes.

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When there is a rupture in the meniscal roots or close to them, the menisci suddenly and considerably reduce their capacity to absorb the axial mechanical load that passes through the knee, quickly leading to the development of a process of chondral degeneration. The varus deformity of the lower limb (when the mechanical axis crosses the medial compartment of the knee) favors this type of injury owing to the overload in the medial compartment. When the patient has both varus deformity and medial meniscal posterior root injury, there is a clear indication for surgical realignment of the affected lower limb.

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Purpose: To analyze clinical and functional outcomes of patients submitted to posterior meniscal root repair of the medial or lateral meniscus in different settings, with at least 6 months of follow-up.

Patients And Methods: Retrospective multicentric study assessing epidemiological characteristics and clinical-functional results of 22 patients who underwent meniscal root reinsertion (MRR) by transtibial technique. This study addressed different settings: isolated medial root repair, medial root repair associated with high tibial osteotomy (HTO) and lateral root repair associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.

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Meniscal injuries are common in the population, representing the major cause of functional impairment in the knee. Vertical longitudinal injuries of the meniscus can be stable or unstable. When extensive, they are commonly unstable and can lead to clinical signs of significant functional disability.

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Chronic proximal patellar tendinopathy is a challenging condition for its troublesome management in the active patient and difficulty in defining the failure of conservative treatment to indicate surgery. Usually, patients with chronic proximal patellar tendinopathy have already tried several physiotherapeutic modalities and are away from their preferred physical activities for variable periods. The current literature presents some open and even arthroscopic options for treating recalcitrant patellar tendinopathy using a variable magnitude of resources and costs.

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Meniscal ramp lesions occur much more frequently than was previously considered, and particularly so in ACL-injured knees. The historically high rate of missed diagnoses is a result of unfamiliarity with this injury pattern within the orthopedic community, and also the difficulty in diagnosis. A systematic exploration of the posteromedial compartment of the knee is mandatory to reliably identify ramp lesions.

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The goal of this study was to report a surgical technique used in a revision anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction case, consisting of an adaptation of the anterolateral iliotibial band tenodesis technique (modified Lemaire technique) combined with ACL reconstruction using an adjustable fixation mechanism. Rotational overload was one of the most likely hypotheses for failure of primary surgery, despite correct positioning and secure fixation. We performed a review of the most pertinent factors related to ACL reconstruction failure, as well as surgical strategies for its treatment.

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The purpose of this study was to test the validity of dynamic leg length discrepancy (DLLD) during gait as a radiation-free screening method for measuring anatomic leg length discrepancy (ALLD). Thirty-three subjects with mild leg length discrepancy walked along a walkway and the dynamic leg length discrepancy (DLLD) was calculated using a motion analysis system. Pearson correlation and paired Student -tests were applied to calculate the correlation and compare the differences between DLLD and ALLD (α = 0.

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The variability of symptoms and the fact that they are not easily recognized in imaging studies make the diagnosis and treatment of posterior meniscal roots lesions a challenging task to the orthopedist. In recent years, a more precise understanding of the anatomy and biomechanical impair of the knee joint in these cases has enabled great advances in therapeutic approaches. Well-documented studies have shown that the repair of these lesions presents superior functional and clinical improvement when compared with meniscectomy.

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Genu varus malalignment can lead to medial compartment overload and progression of ipsilateral compartment osteoarthritis. To slow this process, a medial opening wedge proximal tibial osteotomy (PTO) can be performed. This type of PTO is indicated in patients with genu varus malalignment and isolated medial compartment osteoarthritis of the knee, prior to or concurrent with medial compartment cartilage procedures or meniscal transplants, chronic posterolateral corner deficiency, or chronic anterior cruciate ligament deficiency.

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Posterolateral corner injuries represent a complex injury pattern, with damage to important coronal and rotatory stabilizers of the knee. These lesions commonly occur in association with other ligament injuries, making decisions regarding treatment challenging. Grade III posterolateral corner injuries result in significant instability and have poor outcomes when treated nonoperatively.

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Proximal tibial anterolateral opening-wedge osteotomies have been reported to achieve successful biplanar lower-extremity realignment. Indications for a proximal tibial anterolateral osteotomy include symptomatic genu recurvatum with genu valgus alignment, usually in patients with a flat sagittal-plane tibial slope. The biplanar approach is able to simultaneously address both components of a patient's malalignment with a single procedure.

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The superficial medial collateral ligament (sMCL) and associated knee structures are the most commonly injured structures of the knee. Most isolated sMCL tears are treated nonoperatively. Several studies have described different algorithms for treatment of sMCL lesions, as well as different types of techniques, both in the acute and in chronic settings.

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The lateral meniscus plays a critical role in the stability and health of the knee. Treating patients who have undergone a total lateral meniscectomy or functional equivalent is challenging, especially young and active patients. Current literature regarding meniscal tears supports that repair should be the first surgical option.

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Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are one of the most common injuries among athletes. However, the ability to fully restore rotational stability with ACL reconstruction (ACLR) remains a challenge, as evidenced by the persistence of rotational instability in up to 25% of patients after surgery. Advocacy for reconstruction of the anterolateral ligament (ALL) is rapidly increasing because some biomechanical studies have reported that the ALL is a significant contributor to internal rotational stability of the knee.

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Fibular collateral ligament (FCL) injuries can lead to varus instability of the knee, causing a varus thrust gait and resulting in increased forces on the medial compartment of the knee. In the long term, this can result in meniscal injuries and medial compartment osteoarthritis. Varus instability is also reported to increase forces on the cruciate ligaments, which can lead to overload and failure of these reconstructions in cases of nonrecognized combined injuries.

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The medial meniscus is crucial for knee homeostasis. Treating patients who have undergone a subtotal or total meniscectomy, or equivalent irreparable tear pattern, can be extremely challenging, especially in young, active patients. The importance of meniscal preservation has been reported by several authors.

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Recurrent patellar instability can be very debilitating and may require surgical intervention. A thorough workup must be completed in this subset of patients. Risk factors for recurrent instability include patella alta, trochlear dysplasia, an increased tibial tubercle-trochlear groove distance, and insufficiencies in the medial retinacular structures.

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Preservation of meniscal tissue has been proven to be the best approach in most cases of meniscal tears. Currently available techniques for treating a peripheral meniscal tear include inside-out, outside-in, and all-inside techniques. Each of these techniques present potential advantages and disadvantages.

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Articular cartilage damage of the knee can cause severe morbidity. Owing to its avascular nature, articular cartilage has limited potential for self-healing and increased propensity to progress to osteoarthritis. Treatment of large, full-thickness cartilage defects is still a challenge for orthopaedic surgeons but has recently achieved high success rates with the use of osteochondral allografts.

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Background: Recent biomechanical studies have demonstrated that an extra-articular lateral knee structure, most recently referred to as the anterolateral ligament (ALL), contributes to overall rotational stability of the knee. However, the effect of anatomic ALL reconstruction (ALLR) in the setting of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) has not been biomechanically investigated or validated.

Purpose/hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to investigate the biomechanical function of anatomic ALLR in the setting of a combined ACL and ALL injury.

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Background: Bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) has emerged as a novel treatment for pathology of the knee. Despite containing a limited number of stem cells, BMAC serves as a source of growth factors that are thought to play an important role as a result of their anabolic and anti-inflammatory effects. To our knowledge, there is no systematic review regarding the outcomes of bone marrow aspirate concentrate used for the treatment of chondral defects and osteoarthritis of the knee.

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Background: Recent investigations have described the structural and functional behavior of the anterolateral ligament (ALL) of the knee through pull-apart and isolated sectioning studies. However, the secondary stabilizing role of the ALL in the setting of a complete anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear has not been fully defined for common simulated clinical examinations, such as the pivot-shift, anterior drawer, and internal rotation tests.

Hypothesis: Combined sectioning of the ALL and ACL would lead to increased internal rotation and increased axial plane translation during a pivot-shift test when compared with isolated sectioning of the ACL.

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