Intertester reliability of measurements obtained with the KT-1000 on patients with reconstructed anterior cruciate ligaments.

Clinicians frequently measure anterior tibial displacement on patients following surgical reconstruction for a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Little is known about the reliability of measurements of anterior tibial displacement obtained on patients following an ACL reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to describe the degree of error associated with repeated measurements of anterior tibial displacement on patients with reconstructed ACLs.

Surgical reconstruction of severe chronic posterolateral complex injuries of the knee using allograft tissues.

We report for the first time a reconstructive procedure of the posterolateral complex using allograft tissue to restore fibular collateral ligament function. The procedure is designed for knees where insufficient soft tissues are present and suitable autogenous graft tissues are not available. Twenty consecutive patients were studied; all returned for follow-up evaluation a mean of 42 months (range, 24 to 73) after surgery.

Posterior cruciate ligament allograft reconstruction with and without a ligament augmentation device.

Twenty-five patients with posterior cruciate ligament ruptures were treated with either allograft reconstruction alone (10 patients) or with an allograft-ligament augmentation device composite (15 patients). At follow-up (mean 45 months) the results were assessed with the Cincinnati Knee Rating System. There were no significant differences between the two groups for symptoms, functional limitations, sports activity levels, or the overall rating score.

Use of allografts after failed treatment of rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament.

A prospective study was done of the use of allogeneic tissue to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament in knees in which an intra-articular or an extra-articular operation had failed. Sixty-six consecutive patients (sixty-six knees) had such an operation with use of bone-patellar ligament-bone allografts; all but one returned for follow-up evaluation twenty-three to seventy-eight months (mean, forty-two months) after the operation. A total of 235 previous operations had been performed in these sixty-six knees, including eighty-one procedures for rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament.

Incidence of injury in indoor soccer.

All injuries occurring over a 7-week period at a local indoor soccer arena were documented for analysis of incidence rates. All injury rates were calculated per 100 player-hours. The overall injury rates for male and female players were similar, 5.

Alpha-skeletal actin is associated with increased contractility in the mouse heart.

BALB/c mice express abnormally high levels of alpha-skeletal actin in the heart, which may be related to a duplication in the promoter of the alpha-cardiac actin gene. To evaluate the effects of overexpression of the alpha-skeletal actin isoform on cardiac contractile function, we studied these mice using the isolated perfused work-performing murine heart model and measured actin isoform expression in the same hearts. We quantified myocardial contractility from the maximum rate of contraction (+dP/dt) and time to peak pressure and relaxation from -dP/dt and time to half relaxation of left intraventricular pressure.

Anterior cruciate ligament allograft reconstruction in the skeletally immature athlete.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate anterior cruciate ligament allograft reconstruction in skeletally immature athletes. Eight patients (mean age, 13 years, 6 months; range, 10 to 15 years) with radiographic documentation of open growth plates had anterior cruciate ligament repair and reconstruction with fascia lata or Achilles tendon allograft tissue. A 7-mm graft was centrally placed across the tibial physes and in an over-the-top position on the femur.

Case report 808: Avulsion fracture of the greater trochanter.

The differential diagnosis of unexplained hip pain after trauma in patients with normal radiographs includes both soft tissue and bony abnormalities. We have presented a case of an isolated fracture of the greater trochanter in an adult with normal radiographs where the diagnosis was made by MRI.

Posterior subluxations of the medial and lateral tibiofemoral compartments. An in vitro ligament sectioning study in cadaveric knees.

We report for the first time the abnormal increases in posterior subluxation of the medial and lateral tibial plateaus after sectioning the posterolateral structures and posterior cruciate ligament. We applied specific forces and moments to the knees of seven cadaveric whole lower limbs and measured the position of the tibia at which the ligaments and the geometry of the joint limited motion. Removal of only the posterolateral structures resulted in an average increase in posterior translation of the lateral tibial plateau of 8.

The effect of rehabilitation and return to activity on anterior-posterior knee displacements after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Anterior-posterior knee displacements were measured sequentially with the KT-1000 arthrometer on 84 patients after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction for chronic deficiency. We determined the correlations between the initial onset of abnormal displacements (greater than 2.5 mm between limbs) and time from surgery or the phase of rehabilitation.

The role of the lateral extraarticular restraints in the anterior cruciate ligament-deficient knee.

We measured the increases in tibiofemoral motion when lateral structures were sectioned in anterior cruciate ligament-deficient knees of 20 unembalmed cadaveric whole lower limbs. Motion was measured with a six degrees-of-freedom electrogoniometer. The lateral structures investigated were the iliotibial band and mid-lateral capsule, lateral collateral ligament, and popliteus tendon and the posterolateral capsule.

Osteochondritis dissecans of the talus: a new technique for arthroscopic drilling.

Ankle arthroscopy is an effective procedure for the evaluation and management of osteochondritis dissecans of the talus. For active individuals with detached lesions, excision, curettage, and drilling are an effective treatment. The ability to drill arthroscopically significantly reduces the morbidity associated with open procedures.

High tibial osteotomy and ligament reconstruction in varus angulated, anterior cruciate ligament-deficient knees. A two- to seven-year follow-up study.

We assessed short-term treatment results of younger patients with varus malalignment and chronic anterior cruciate ligament deficiency. Forty-one patients (mean, 32 years; range, 16 to 47) underwent a high tibial osteotomy. Because of giving way symptoms, 14 also had a lateral iliotibial band extraarticular procedure at the time of the osteotomy and 16 had an intraarticular anterior cruciate ligament allograft reconstruction after the osteotomy.

Posterior tibial subluxation of the posterior cruciate-deficient knee.

Ten subjects with unilateral posterior cruciate ligament-deficient knees were studied, comparing the knee mechanics of the affected knee with the mechanics of the opposite normal knee. The static squat test was used to determine knee forces and moments through measurements made on roentgenograms. Statistically significant increases occurred in posterior translation of the tibia in all knees at high knee flexion angles, but not uniformly at low knee flexion angles.

The anterior cruciate ligament-deficient knee with varus alignment. An analysis of gait adaptations and dynamic joint loadings.

Thirty-two patients with an ACL-deficient knee and lower limb varus alignment and 16 healthy controls were analyzed during level walking using a force-plate and optoelectronic system. The forces and moments of the lower limb and knee joint were measured and knee joint loads and ligament tensile forces were calculated using a mathematical model. The majority of patients (20 of 32) had an abnormally high adduction moment at the affected knee.

The effect of a ligament-augmentation device on allograft reconstructions for chronic ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament.

A prospective study was performed to determine the effect of a combination of a ligament-augmentation device with a bone-patellar ligament-bone allograft for the treatment of chronic rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament. One hundred and fifteen knees in 110 patients were divided into two groups. Group BLB consisted of sixty-six knees in sixty-four patients who were managed with a bone-patellar ligament-bone allograft only, and Group BLB-LAD consisted of forty-nine knees in forty-six patients who were managed with both the allograft and a ligament-augmentation device.

Primary and coupled motions in the intact and the ACL-deficient knee: an in vitro study in the goat model.

Quadrupeds are commonly used as animal models to study healing of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions. While rabbits, dogs, goats, and sheep have been used, goats and sheep are increasingly being employed because of the larger joint size that facilitates surgery, ease of availability, and lower expense to maintain in the farm environment. In spite of this, little is known about the function of the ACL in controlling primary and coupled motions in the quadruped.

The early treatment of motion complications after reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament.

The use of active and passive knee motion in the immediate postoperative period and a treatment plan for early postoperative limitations in knee motion has proven highly effective in restoring motion after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Of 207 knees, 189 (91%) regained a full range of motion of 0 degrees-135 degrees. The remaining 18 knees (9%) did not regain motion as rapidly as the others and were placed in an early postoperative phased treatment program.