Objective To investigate the outcomes of arthroscopic reduction and internal fixation of tibial eminence avulsion fracture using absorbable double suture anchors. Methods Between February 2007 and August 2009, 18 patients with tibial eminence avulsion fracture were treated with arthroscopic reduction and fixation using absorbable doublensuture anchors. There were 12 males and 6 females with an average age of 30.6 years (range, 17-48 years). The disease causes were traffic accident injury in 4 cases, sport injury in 8 cases, and fall ing from height injury in 6 cases; the locations were left side in 7 cases and right side in 11 cases. The results of the anterior drawer test and Lachman test were positive. According to Meyers-McKeever classification, 10 cases were rated as type II, 7 as type III, and 1 as type IV fractures. The time from injury to treatment was 6-20 days (mean, 10.2 days). Results Incision healed primarily. All the patients were followed up 29.1 months (range, 13-43 months). The X-ray films showed good reduction of fracture immediately after operation and fracture heal ing at 3 months. At the last follow-up, the range of motion of knee was 0-130°. The results of Lachman test and anterior drawer test were negative in 18 cases and 16 cases, repectively; and the results of anterior drawer test were weakly positive in 2 cases. The mean Lysholm score was significantly improved from 53.9 ± 6.7 preoperatively to 91.6 ± 4.2 postoperatively (t=22.100, P=0.000). The Inter national knee Documentation Commitee (IKDC) 2000 subject score improved from 58.1 ± 3.7 preoperatively to 92.8 ± 5.9 postoperatively (t=20.700, P=0.000). Conclusion Arthroscopic treatment using absorbable double suture anchors for tibial eminence avulsion fracture can provide satisfactory reduction, stable fixation, and good heal ing of the avulsed fragment, which is a minimally-invasive, simple, and effective treatment for patients with tibial eminence avulsion fracture.
Objective To investigate effectiveness of a improved technique for perforation of patella combined with suture anchor and non-tourniquet for repairing acute rupture of the bone tendon junction of quadriceps tendon. Methods Between June 2010 and June 2016, 15 patients with acute rupture of the bone tendon junction of quadriceps tendon were treated with the improved technique for perforation of patella combined with suture anchor and non-tourniquet. Of them, 14 were male and 1 was female, aged from 19 to 74 years (mean, 44 years). Seven cases were sports injuries, 5 cases were caused by slipping, and 3 cases were caused by violent trauma. The duration of quadriceps tendon rupture ranged from 3 hours to 3 days (median, 2 days). The right side was involved in 9 cases, and the left side in 6 cases. All of the cases were closed injuries. The patients had no sequelae of limb dysfunction and no limb joint surgery in the past. All the patients received anteroposterior and lateral X-ray films of the knee joint and patella axial films during follow-up. Knee function of the patients after operation was evaluated by Lysholm scoring system and Kujala scoring system. Results The operation time was 50-60 minutes (mean, 55 minutes). The intraoperative blood loss was 50-150 mL, with an average of 87 mL. Primary healing of incision was obtained in all patients without complications. All patients were followed up 12-24 months (mean, 18 months). At 1 year after operation, the knee joint function of all patients recovered well; the knee Lysholm score was 92-96, with an average of 94 and the patellofemoral joint Kujala score was 90-95, with an average of 93. There was no re-rupture of quadriceps tendon or loosening of internal fixation during follow-up. According to the lateral and axial X-ray films at 1 year after operation, the patella depth index, femur trochlea depth, sulcus angle, and Insall-Salvati index were 3.62-4.09 (mean, 3.84), 4.45-6.50 (mean, 5.56), 137-145° (mean, 142°), and 0.90-1.18 (mean, 1.06). The lateral patellofemoral angle increased, and the patellar tilt angle and the patella lateral shift distance reduced, all showing significant differences when compared with preoperative ones (P<0.05). Conclusion The improved technique for perforation of patella combined with suture anchor and non-tourniquet for repairing acute rupture of the bone tendon junction of quadriceps tendon can reconstruct a stable patellofemoral joint, increase the strength of fixing, disperse stress effectively and evenly, and increase the area for tendon-bone healing.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effectiveness of arthroscopic GraftLink technique reconstruction combined with suture anchor fixation in treatment of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture and medial collateral ligament (MCL) grade Ⅲ injury.MethodsBetween June 2015 and February 2018, 28 patients with ACL rupture and MCL grade Ⅲ injury were treated. Arthroscopic GraftLink technique was used to reconstruct ACL with autologous peroneus longus tendon (PLT), and suture anchor fixation was used to repair MCL. There were 22 males and 6 females, aged 21-47 years, with an average age of 30.4 years. The cause of injury included traffic accident in 18 cases, falling from height in 7 cases, and sports injury in 3 cases. The time from injury to admission was 1-2 weeks, with an average of 1.3 weeks. The preoperative Lysholm score of knee joint was 46.8±3.0 and the International Knee Documentation Commission (IKDC) score was 49.2±2.7. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score of ankle joint was 98.29±0.72. Both Lachman test and valgus stress test were positive. There were 8 cases of meniscus injury and 2 cases of cartilage injury.ResultsThe operation time ranged from 55 to 90 minutes, with an average of 72.5 minutes. All incisions healed by first intention after operation, and no complications related to operation occurred. All patients were followed up 6-38 months, with an average of 20.7 months. At 3 months after operation, the range of motion of the knee joint was 116- 132°, with an average of 122°. Lachman test showed that the anterior translation more than 5 mm in 2 cases, and the others were negative; while the valgus stress test showed that all patients were positive. At 6 months after operation, the Lysholm score and IKDC score of knee joint were 90.2±1.8 and 93.5±2.3, respectively, which were significantly higher than preoperative scores (t=31.60, P=0.00; t=29.91, P=0.01); AOFAS score of ankle joint was 97.86±0.68, with no significant difference compared with preoperative score (t=2.89, P=0.08). KT-1000 test showed that the difference of anterior relaxation between bilateral knee joints was less than 2 mm in 25 cases and 3 to 5 mm in 3 cases.ConclusionThe method of ACL reconstruction via arthroscopic GraftLink technique with PLT and MCL repair via suture anchor fixation has the advantages of less knee injury and faster recovery, and there is no significant impact on ankle function after tendon removal.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of a clavicular hook plate with coracoclavicular ligament augmentation by suture anchor in the treatment of Neer types Ⅱ and Ⅴ distal clavicle fractures.MethodsBetween January 2010 and June 2016, 16 patients with Neer types Ⅱ and Ⅴ distal clavicle fractures were treated with clavicle hook plates and coracoclavicular ligament augmentation by suture anchor. There were 12 males and 4 females with an average age of 45.6 years (range, 14-81 years). The injury mechanism included falling in 10 cases, traffic accident injury in 2 cases, falling from height in 2 cases, and heavy object injury in 2 cases. The Neer classification of clavicle fractures included 2 cases of type Ⅱa, 13 cases of type Ⅱb, and 1 case of type Ⅴ. The injury severity score (ISS) was 6-29, with an average of 11.2. The time from injury to operation was 1-18 days, with an average of 6.4 days. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospitalization stay, fracture healing, and postoperative complications were recorded; the disability of arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) score, the shoulder joint Constant score, and the Oxford shoulder score (OSS) were used to evaluate the shoulder joint at last follow-up.ResultsAll operations were successfully completed. The operation time was 50-100 minutes, with an average of 75.6 minutes; intraoperative blood loss was 30-100 mL, with an average of 52.8 mL; hospitalization stay was 4-47 days, with an average of 13.7 days. All patients were followed up 1.2-7.5 years, with an average of 3.5 years. All clavicle fractures healed, and the healing time was 9.4-13.6 weeks, with an average of 11.9 weeks. No fracture nonunion, fracture displacement, failure of internal fixation, or incision infection, etc. occurred. Fifteen patients took out the hook plate after fracture healing and functional recovery, and 1 case refused to remove the hook plate from the second operation because of no obvious discomfort. At last follow-up, the DASH score was 0-13, with an average of 2.2; the shoulder joint Constant score was 90-100, with an average of 96.8; the OSS score was 12-14, with an average of 12.3.ConclusionClavicular hook plate with coracoclavicular ligament augmentation by suture anchor can help achieve good effectiveness with less postoperative complication in the treatment of Neer types Ⅱ and Ⅴ distal clavicular fractures.
Objective To investigate the effectiveness of transosseous suture in medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) double bundle reconstruction. Methods The clinical data of 75 patients with recurrent patella dislocation who met the selection criteria between January 2014 and December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. All of them were treated with MPFL double bundle reconstruction, and divided into study group (39 cases, using new transosseous suture technique) and control group (36 cases, using traditional suture anchor fixation) depending on the intraoperative fixation technique. There was no significant difference in gender, age, body mass index, affected knee side, preoperative tibial tuberosity-trochlear groove distance, Insall-Salvati ratio, knee range of motion, Kujala score, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, congruence angle, and tilt angle between the two groups (P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, and postoperative complications were recorded and compared between the two groups. Kujala score, IKDC score, and knee range of motion were used to evaluate the functional improvement of patients before and after operation. The congruence angle and tilt angle were measured on X-ray films. Results There was no significant difference in operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and hospital stay between the two groups (P>0.05). Patients in both groups were followed up 24-36 months, with an average of 29.4 months. There was no complication such as incision infection, fat liquefaction, patellar redislocation, and prepatellar pain during follow-up. At last follow-up, the Kujala score, IKDC score, knee range of motion, congruence angle, and tilt angle of two groups significantly improved when compared with those before operation (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). ConclusionThe application of suture anchor or transosseous suture to complete MPFL double bundle reconstruction can restore patellar stability, and there is no significant difference in the short-term effectiveness between them.
Objective A multicenter, randomized, single-blind, parallel-controlled noninferiority study was used to evaluate the short-term safety and effectiveness of domestic polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) suture anchor for rotator cuff repair by comparing with the imported PEEK suture anchor commonly used in clinical practice. Methods A total of 59 patients with rotator cuff tears who were admitted between May 2019 and October 2019 were selected as the research objects. Among them, 3 patients were excluded because they did not meet the selection criteria, and 1 patient withdrew from the study because of serious adverse events. A total of 55 patients were included in the study. They were randomly divided into trial group (n=27) and control group (n=28). The trial group used PEEK suture anchors produced from REJOIN Company, and the control group used PEEK suture anchors from American Arthrex Company. Two patients in control group were lost to follow-up. Twenty-seven patients in trial group and 26 patients in control group were included in the final quantitative analysis. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in gender, age, disease duration, side and sizes of rotator cuff tears, composition ratio of patients with type 2 diabetes, and preoperative American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Constant-Murley score, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) score, and visual analogue scale (VAS) score. The patients were followed up regularly after operation. The postoperative follow-up included safety evaluation (complications, anchor position, and anchor bone reaction) and effectiveness evaluation (shoulder joint function and pain scores, rotator cuff integrity based on Sugaya classification criteria). Results The operations in both groups were successfully completed, and there was no complication related to the operation and suture anchor. All incisions healed by first intention. There was no significant difference in follow-up time between trial group [(5.85±0.77) months] and control group [(5.96±0.72) months] (t=0.535, P=0.595). MRI examination indicated that the repaired tendons were fixed and the anchors did not get loose or torn. At 1 day, 3 months, and 6 months after operation, there was no patient with grade 3-4 anchor bone reaction in the two groups, and there was no significant difference in the bone reaction grading between groups (P>0.05). After operation, the VAS scores of the two groups gradually decreased, and the ASES scores, Constant-Murley scores, and UCLA scores gradually increased, and there were significant differences between groups at each time point (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between groups at different time points (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in Sugaya classification of rotator cuff integrity at 1 day, 3 months, and 6 months after operation between groups (P>0.05). Conclusion The short-term safety and effectiveness of domestic PEEK suture anchors in rotator cuff tear repair are not significant different from those of imported PEEK suture anchors commonly used in clinical practice.
Objective To investigate effectiveness of suture anchor fixation combined with Nice knot strapping via longitudinal patellar drilling in the treatment of patellar inferior pole fractures. Methods A clinical data of 37 patients with unilateral patellar inferior pole fracture who met the selection criteria between June 2017 and June 2021 was retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 17 cases were treated with the suture anchor fixation combined with Nice knot strapping via longitudinal patellar drilling (group A), and 20 cases were treated with the traditional Kirschner wire tension band technique (group B). There was no significant difference in terms of gender, age, body mass index, fracture side, combined medical disease, and preoperative hemoglobin between the two groups (P>0.05). Operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative complications, fracture healing time, knee range of motion, and knee function Bostman score (range of motion, pain, daily work, muscle atrophy, walking aids, knee effusion, soft leg, and stair climbing) and grading were recorded in both groups at last follow-up. Results There was no significant difference in operation time and intraoperative blood loss between the two groups (P>0.05). All incisions healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 1-2 years, with an average of 1.7 years. X-ray films reexamination showed that all fractures in group A healed, while 2 cases in group B did not heal. There was no significant difference in bone healing time between the two groups (P>0.05). At last follow-up, the knee range of motion, the range of motion score of Bostman score, total score and effectiveness grading in group A were significantly better than those in group B (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the other items of Bostman scores between the two groups (P>0.05). During follow-up, 2 cases of internal fixation failure and 1 case of internal fixator irritation occurred in group B, and no complication related to internal fixation occurred in group A. The occurrence of complications was significantly lower in group A than in group B (P<0.05). ConclusionCompared with the traditional Kirschner wire tension band technique, the suture anchor combined with Nice knot strapping via longitudinal patellar drilling for the patellar inferior pole fractures has the advantages of simple operation, reliable fixation, early flexion and extension activity, and better functional recovery of knee joint.
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of Kirschner wire fixation and coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction with suture anchor in the treatment of Cho type ⅡC distal clavicle fractures. Methods The data of 17 patients with Cho type ⅡC distal clavicular fractures, who were treated with Kirschner wire fixation and coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction with suture anchor between June 2019 and June 2021, was retrospectively analyzed. There were 11 males and 6 females with an average age of 38.7 years (range, 19-72 years). The fractures were caused by falling in 12 cases and traffic accident in 5 cases. All patients had fresh closed fractures. The interval from injury to operation was 1-5 days (mean, 2.6 days). The preoperative injury severity score (ISS) was 6-27 (mean, 10.2). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, fracture healing, and postoperative complications were analyzed. The shoulder joint function was evaluated by disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) score and Constant score at last follow-up. Results All operations were completed successfully. The operation time was 20-50 minutes (mean, 31.6 minutes). The intraoperative blood loss was 30-100 mL (mean, 50.6 mL). The hospital stay was 4-9 days (mean, 5.3 days). All incisions healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 12-16 months (mean, 13 months). All clavicle fractures healed, and the healing time was 8-15 weeks (mean, 11 weeks). No complications such as fracture displacement or nonunion caused by internal fixation failure occurred. During the follow-up, skin irritation caused by the Kirschner wire withdrawal occurred in 3 cases. The Kirschner wires were removed after fracture healing in 17 patients. At last follow-up, the Constant score of shoulder joint was 90-100 (mean, 98.2). The DASH score was 0-10 (mean, 1.5). ConclusionKirschner wire fixation combined with coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction with suture anchor in the treatment of Cho type ⅡC distal clavicle fractures has less postoperative complications and slight complications. It is convenient to remove the internal fixator. The Kirschner wire does not fix the distal clavicle fracture through the acromion, which has little effect on shoulder joint function and can obtain good effectiveness.
Objective To explore the feasibility and effectiveness of suture anchor double-pulley technique combined with suture three-dimensional binding via bone tunnel technique for avulsion fractures of the inferior pole of the patella. Methods A clinical data of 38 patients with avulsion fractures of the inferior pole of the patella, who met the selective criteria and were admitted between September 2021 and April 2023, was retrospectively analyzed. The fractures were treated with suture anchor double-pulley technique combined with suture three-dimensional binding via bone tunnel technique in 18 cases (group A) and steel wire tension-band fixation in 20 cases (group B). There was no significant difference in terms of age, gender, cause of fracture, side of fracture, and disease duration between the two groups (P>0.05). The length of incision, operation time, occurrence of complications, the range of motion of knee joint, and Böstman score of knee joint at last follow-up were recorded. The fracture healing was evaluated through X-ray films and the time of fracture healing was recorded. Results All incisions healed by first intention. The length of incision was significantly shorter in group A than in group B (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the operation time between the two groups (P>0.05). All patients were followed up for an average of 16.1 months (range, 12-24 months). X-ray films showed that all fractures healed and no significant difference in the healing time between the two groups (P>0.05). At last follow-up, the range of motion and Böstman score of the knee joint in group A were significantly better than those in group B (P<0.05). During follow-up, 1 patient (5.6%) in group A had one anchor mild prolapse and 3 patients (15.0%) occured internal fixation irritation in group B. But there was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion For the avulsion fractures of the inferior pole of the patella, the suture anchor double-pulley technique combined with suture three-dimensional binding via bone tunnel technique has advantages of reliable fixation, small incision, avoidance of secondary operation to remove internal fixator, and fewer complications, with definite effectiveness.