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Modern advances in molecular medicine have led to the reframing of osteoarthritis as a metabolically active, inflammatory disorder with local and systemic contributing factors. According to the 'inflammatory theory' of osteoarthritis, immune response to an initial damage is the key trigger that leads to progressive joint destruction. Several intertwined pathways are known to induce and govern articular inflammation, cartilage matrix degradation, and subchondral bone changes. Effective treatments capable of halting or delaying the progression of osteoarthritis remain elusive. As a result, supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate are commonly used despite the lack of scientific consensus. A novel option for adjunctive therapy of osteoarthritis is LithoLexal ® Joint, a marine-derived, mineral-rich extract, that exhibited significant efficacy in clinical trials. LithoLexal ® has a lattice microstructure containing a combination of bioactive rare minerals. Mechanistic research suggests that this novel treatment possesses various potential disease-modifying properties, such as suppression of nuclear factor kappa-B, interleukin 1β, tumor necrosis factor α, and cyclooxygenase-2. Accordingly, LithoLexal ® Joint can be considered a disease-modifying adjunctive therapy (DMAT). LithoLexal ® Joint monotherapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis has significantly improved symptoms and walking ability with higher efficacy than glucosamine. Preliminary evidence also suggests that LithoLexal ® Joint may allow clinicians to reduce the dose of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in osteoarthritic patients by up to 50%. In conclusion, the multi-mineral complex, LithoLexal ® Joint, appears to be a promising candidate for DMAT of osteoarthritis, which may narrow the existing gap in clinical practice.

Recent efforts have focused on customizing orthobiologics, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and bone marrow concentrate (BMC), to improve tissue repair. We hypothesized that oral losartan (a TGF-β1 blocker with anti-fibrotic properties) could decrease TGF-β1 levels in leukocyte-poor PRP (LP-PRP) and fibrocytes in BMC. Ten rabbits were randomized into two groups (N = 5/group): osteochondral defect + microfracture (control, group 1) and osteochondral defect + microfracture + losartan (losartan, group 2). For group 2, a dose of 10mg/kg/day of losartan was administrated orally for 12 weeks post-operatively. After 12 weeks, whole blood (WB) and bone marrow aspirate (BMA) samples were collected to process LP-PRP and BMC. TGF-β1 concentrations were measured in WB and LP-PRP with multiplex immunoassay. BMC cell populations were analyzed by flow cytometry with CD31, CD44, CD45, CD34, CD146 and CD90 antibodies. There was no significant difference in TGF-β1 levels between the losartan and control group in WB or LP-PRP. In BMC, the percentage of CD31+ cells (endothelial cells) in the losartan group was significantly higher than the control group ( p = 0.008), while the percentage of CD45+ cells (hematopoietic cells-fibrocytes) in the losartan group was significantly lower than the control group ( p = 0.03).

Background: Transtibial pull-out repair of the medial meniscal posterior root (MMPR) has been largely assessed through biomechanical studies. Biomechanically comparing different suture types would further optimize MMPR fixation and affect clinical care., Purpose/hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal suture material for MMPR fixation. It was hypothesized that ultra high-molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) suture tape would be biomechanically superior to UHMWPE suture and standard suture., Study Design: Controlled laboratory study., Methods: The MMPR attachment was divided in 24 human cadaveric knees and randomly assigned to 3 repair groups: UHMWPE suture tape, UHMWPE suture, and standard suture. Specimens were dissected down to the medial meniscus, and the posterior root attachments were sectioned off the tibia. Two-tunnel transtibial pull-out repair with 2 sutures, as determined by the testing group, was performed. The repair constructs were cyclically loaded between 10 and 30 N at 0.5 Hz for 1000 cycles to mimic the forces experienced on the medial meniscus during postoperative rehabilitation. Displacement was recorded at 1, 50, 100, 500, and 1000 cycles. Ultimate failure load, displacement at failure, and load at 3 mm of displacement (clinical failure) were also recorded., Results: UHMWPE suture tape had significantly less displacement of the medial meniscus when compared with standard suture at 1 (-0.22 mm [95% CI, -0.41 to -0.02]; P = .025) and 50 (-0.35 mm [95% CI, -0.67 to -0.03]; P = .029) cycles. There were no other significant differences observed in displacement between groups at any number of cycles. UHMWPE suture tape had significantly less displacement at the time of failure than standard suture (-3.71 mm [95% CI, -7.17 to -0.24]; P = .034). UHMWPE suture tape had a significantly higher load to reach the clinical failure displacement of 3 mm than UHMWPE suture (15.64 N [95% CI, 0.02 to 31.26]; P = .05). There were no significant differences in ultimate failure load between groups., Conclusion: The meniscal root repair construct with UHMWPE suture tape may be stronger and less prone to displacement than that with standard suture or UHMWPE suture., Clinical Relevance: UHMWPE suture tape may provide better clinical results compared with UHMWPE suture and standard suture., Competing Interests: One or more of the authors has declared the following potential conflict of interest or source of funding: Smith & Nephew donated the human cadaveric knee specimens and medical devices/supplies used in this study. M.J.S. has received consulting fees and research support from Smith & Nephew. AOSSM checks author disclosures against the Open Payments Database (OPD). AOSSM has not conducted an independent investigation on the OPD and disclaims any liability or responsibility relating thereto., (© The Author(s) 2019.)

Background: Given the variety of suturing techniques for bucket-handle meniscal repair, it is important to assess which suturing technique best restores native biomechanics., Purpose/hypothesis: To biomechanically compare vertical mattress and cross-stitch suture techniques, in single- and double-row configurations, in their ability to restore native knee kinematics in a bucket-handle medial meniscal tear model. The hypothesis was that there would be no difference between the vertical mattress and cross-stitch double-row suture techniques but that the double-row technique would provide significantly improved biomechanical parameters versus the single-row technique., Study Design: Controlled laboratory study., Methods: Ten matched pairs of human cadaver knees were randomly assigned to the vertical mattress (n = 10) or cross-stitch (n = 10) repair group. Each knee underwent 4 consecutive testing conditions: (1) intact, (2) displaced bucket-handle tear, (3) single-row suture configuration on the femoral meniscus surface, and (4) double-row suture configuration (repair of femoral and tibial meniscus surfaces). Knees were loaded with a 1000-N axial compressive force at 0°, 30°, 60°, 90°, and 120° of flexion for each condition. Resultant medial compartment contact area, average contact pressure, and peak contact pressure data were recorded., Results: Intact state contact area was not restored at 0° ( P = .027) for the vertical double-row configuration and at 0° ( P = .032), 60° ( P < .001), and 90° ( P = .007) of flexion for the cross-stitch double-row configuration. No significant differences were found in the average contact pressure and peak contact pressure between the intact state and the vertical mattress and cross-stitch repairs with single- and double-row configurations at any flexion angles. When the vertical and cross-stich repairs were compared across all flexion angles, no significant differences were observed in single-row configurations, but in double-row configurations, cross-stitch repair resulted in a significantly decreased contact area, average contact pressure, and peak contact pressure (all P < .001)., Conclusion: Single- and double-row configurations of the vertical mattress and cross-stitch inside-out meniscal repair techniques restored native tibiofemoral pressure after a medial meniscal bucket-handle tear at all assessed knee flexion angles. Despite decreased contact area with a double-row configuration, mainly related to the cross-stitch repair, in comparison with the intact state, the cross-stitch double-row repair led to decreased pressure as compared with the vertical double-row repair. These findings are applicable only at the time of the surgery, as the biological effects of healing were not considered., Clinical Relevance: Medial meniscal bucket-handle tears may be repaired with the single- or double-row configuration of vertical mattress or cross-stitch sutures.

Background: Previous work has reported that increased tibial slope is directly correlated with increased anterior tibial translation, possibly predisposing patients to higher rates of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears and causing higher rates of ACL graft failures over the long term. However, the effect of changes in sagittal plane tibial slope on ACL reconstruction (ACLR) graft force has not been well defined., Purpose/hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to quantify the effect of changes in sagittal plane tibial slope on ACLR graft force at varying knee flexion angles. Our null hypothesis was that changing the sagittal plane tibial slope would not affect force on the ACL graft., Study Design: Controlled laboratory study., Methods: Ten male fresh-frozen cadaveric knees had a posterior tibial osteotomy performed and an external fixator placed for testing and accurate slope adjustment. Following ACLR, specimens were compressed with a 200-N axial load at flexion angles of 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, and 60°, and the graft loads were recorded through a force transducer clamped to the graft. Tibial slope was varied between -2° and 20° of posterior slope at 2° increments under these test conditions., Results: ACL graft force in the loaded testing state increased linearly as slope increased. This effect was independent of flexion angle. The final model utilized a 2-factor linear mixed-effects regression model and noted a significant, highly positive, and linear relationship between tibial slope and ACL graft force in axially loaded knees at all flexion angles tested (slope coefficient = 0.92, SE = 0.08, P < .001). Significantly higher graft force was also observed at 0° of flexion as compared with all other flexion angles for the loaded condition (all P < .001)., Conclusion: The authors found that tibial slope had a strong linear relationship to the amount of graft force experienced by an ACL graft in axially loaded knees. Thus, a flatter tibial slope had significantly less loading of ACL grafts, while steeper slopes increased ACL graft loading. Our biomechanical findings support recent clinical evidence of increased ACL graft failure with steeper tibial slope secondary to increased graft loading., Clinical Relevance: Evaluation of the effect of increasing tibial slope on ACL graft force can guide surgeons when deciding if a slope-decreasing proximal tibial osteotomy should be performed before a revision ACLR. Overall, as slope increases, ACL graft force increases, and in our study, flatter slopes had lower ACL graft forces and were protective of the ACLR graft.

Background: Ramp lesions were initially defined as a tear of the peripheral attachment of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus at the meniscocapsular junction. The separate biomechanical roles of the meniscocapsular and meniscotibial attachments of the posterior medial meniscus have not been fully delineated., Purpose: To evaluate the biomechanical effects of meniscocapsular and meniscotibial lesions of the posterior medial meniscus in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-deficient and ACL-reconstructed knees and the effect of repair of ramp lesions., Study Design: Controlled laboratory study., Methods: Twelve matched pairs of human cadaveric knees were evaluated with a 6 degrees of freedom robotic system. All knees were subjected to an 88-N anterior tibial load, internal and external rotation torques of 5 N·m, and a simulated pivot-shift test of 10-N valgus force coupled with 5-N·m internal rotation. The paired knees were randomized to the cutting of either the meniscocapsular or the meniscotibial attachments after ACL reconstruction (ACLR). Eight comparisons of interest were chosen before data analysis was conducted. Data from the intact state were compared with data from the subsequent states. The following states were tested: intact (n = 24), ACL deficient (n = 24), ACL deficient with a meniscocapsular lesion (n = 12), ACL deficient with a meniscotibial lesion (n = 12), ACL deficient with both meniscocapsular and meniscotibial lesions (n = 24), ACLR with both meniscocapsular and meniscotibial lesions (n = 16), and ACLR with repair of both meniscocapsular and meniscotibial lesions (n = 16). All states were compared with the previous states. For the repair and reconstruction states, only the specimens that underwent repair were compared with their intact and sectioned states, thus excluding the specimens that did not undergo repair., Results: Cutting the meniscocapsular and meniscotibial attachments of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus significantly increased anterior tibial translation in ACL-deficient knees at 30° ( P ≤ .020) and 90° ( P < .005). Cutting both the meniscocapsular and meniscotibial attachments increased tibial internal (all P > .004) and external (all P < .001) rotation at all flexion angles in ACL-reconstructed knees. Reconstruction of the ACL in the presence of meniscocapsular and meniscotibial tears restored anterior tibial translation ( P > .053) but did not restore internal rotation ( P < .002), external rotation ( P < .002), and the pivot shift ( P < .05). To restore the pivot shift, an ACLR and a concurrent repair of the meniscocapsular and meniscotibial lesions were both necessary. Repairing the meniscocapsular and meniscotibial lesions after ACLR did not restore internal rotation and external rotation at angles >30°., Conclusion: Meniscocapsular and meniscotibial lesions of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus increased knee anterior tibial translation, internal and external rotation, and the pivot shift in ACL-deficient knees. The pivot shift was not restored with an isolated ACLR but was restored when performed concomitantly with a meniscocapsular and meniscotibial repair. However, the effect of this change was minimal; although statistical significance was found, the overall clinical significance remains unclear. The ramp lesion repair used in this study failed to restore internal rotation and external rotation at higher knee flexion angles. Further studies should examine improved meniscus repair techniques for root tears combined with ACLRs., Clinical Relevance: Meniscal ramp lesions should be repaired at the time of ACLR to avoid continued knee instability (anterior tibial translation) and to eliminate the pivot-shift phenomenon.

Meniscal root tears are defined as radial tears located within 1 cm from the meniscal attachment or a bony root avulsion. This injury is biomechanically comparable to a total meniscectomy, leading to compromised hoop stresses resulting in decreased tibiofemoral contact area and increased contact pressures in the involved compartment. These changes are detrimental to the articular cartilage and ultimately lead to the development of early osteoarthritis. Surgical repair is the treatment of choice in patients without significant osteoarthritis (Outerbridge grades 3 or 4). Root repairs have been reported to improve clinical outcomes, decrease meniscal extrusion and slow the onset of degenerative changes. Here we describe the anatomy, biomechanics, clinical evaluation, treatment methods, outcomes, and post-operative rehabilitation for posterior meniscal root tears.

The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is the largest and strongest ligament in the human knee, and the primary posterior stabilizer. Recent anatomy and biomechanical studies have provided an improved understanding of PCL function. PCL injuries are typically combined with other ligamentous, meniscal and chondral injuries. Stress radiography has become an important and validated objective measure in surgical decision making and post-operative assessment. Isolated grade I or II PCL injuries can usually be treated non-operatively. However, when acute grade III PCL ruptures occur together with other ligamentous injury and/or repairable meniscal body/root tears, surgery is indicated. Anatomic single-bundle PCL reconstruction (SB-PCLR) typically restores the larger anterolateral bundle (ALB) and represents the most commonly performed procedure. Unfortunately, residual posterior and rotational tibial instability after SB-PCLR has led to the development of an anatomic double-bundle (DB) PCLR to restore the native PCL footprint and co-dominant behavior of the anterolateral and posteromedial bundles and re-establish normal knee kinematics. The purpose of this article is to review the pertinent details regarding PCL anatomy, biomechanics, injury diagnosis and treatment options, with a focus on arthroscopically assisted DB-PCLR. Level of evidence: IV.

Unlabelled: Acute lateral ankle sprain (ALAS) is a common injury, but its treatment has yet to be firmly established. The purpose of this study was to investigate how Brazilian Orthopedists (including residents) manage the diagnosis, classification, treatment and complications of ALAS., Methods: A multiple-choice questionnaire was developed with the aim of addressing the main aspects of the treatment of ALAS. The questionnaire was made available on the official website of the Brazilian Society of Orthopedics and Traumatology between June 15 and August 1, 2004., Results: 444 questionnaires were included in the analysis. The results showed agreement among most of the interviewees in the following regards: 90.8% used a classification method to guide treatment of the sprain; 59% classified the ankle sprain with certainty; 63.7% used rigid immobilization in cases of totally torn ligaments; 60.6% used anti-inflammatory medication in cases of partial ligament tears; and 75.9% reported that residual pain was the most frequent complication. There was no consensus regarding the immobilization method for partial ALAS, given that immobilization and functional treatment were chosen with the same frequency (47%). There was no significant difference between the responses from residents and from orthopedists (p = 0.81)., Conclusions: Orthopedists and orthopedic residents in Brazil have difficulty classifying ALAS and there is no consensus about the best therapeutic option for partial ALAS.

Surgical procedures for double-bundle reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament, which currently use semitendinous and gracilis tendon grafts, have been described in the last decade. Most of the techniques utilize twice the hardware used in single-bundle reconstructions. We report an original anterior cruciate ligament double-bundle reconstruction technique using semitendinous and gracilis tendon grafts, maintaining their tibial bone insertions with two tibial and two femoral tunnels. A simplified and precise outside-in femoral drilling technique is utilized, and the graft fixation is made utilizing only two interference screws.

Objective: To analyze the most common methods for measuring patellar height and the impact of observer experience in correlations with the other observers using digital radiography., Methods: Sixty digital radiographs of the knee in lateral view were analyzed by four observers: a physician in the second year of medical residence in orthopedics (R2); a physician in the third year of medical residence in orthopedics (R3); an orthopedic surgeon who was a specialist in knee surgery (SK); and a radiologist who was a specialist in musculoskeletal radiology (SR). The indices used were: Insall-Salvati (IS), Blackburne-Peel (BP), Caton-Deschamps (CD) and modified Insall-Salvati (ISM). The interobserver agreement was calculated using the kappa coefficient (κ)., Results: The highest correlation coefficients were found when using the IS method followed by the CD method. The worst correlation was observed in the ISM method. The highest interobserver agreement was found between the orthopedic surgeon specializing in knee surgery and the radiologist specializing in musculoskeletal radiology, for the four measurement methods used., Conclusion: Using digital radiography, the Insall-Salvati and Caton-Deschamps indexes presented the highest interobserver agreement, and this was also positively influenced by the observer's level of experience.

Background: It is not clear which fixation of total knee arthroplasty obtains the best clinical, functional and radiographic results in people with osteoarthritis and other non-traumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis., Objectives: To assess the benefits and harms of cemented, cementless and hybrid knee prostheses fixation techniques in participants with primary osteoarthritis (osteoarthritis following trauma was not included) and other non-traumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis., Search Methods: We searched CENTRAL (2011, issue 10), MEDLINE via PubMed, EMBASE, Current Controlled Trials, LILACS, The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, SPORTDiscus, Health Technology Assessment Database and the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness, all from implementation to October 2011, along with handsearches of high-yield journals and reference lists of articles. No language restrictions were applied., Selection Criteria: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating cemented, cementless and hybrid fixation. Participants included patients that were 18 years or older with osteoarthritis and other non-traumatic diseases who were undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty., Data Collection and Analysis: Three authors independently selected the eligible trials, assessed the trial quality, risk of bias and extracted data. Researchers were contacted to obtain missing information., Main Results: Five RCTs and 297 participants were included in this review. Using meta-analysis on roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis (RSA) we observed that cemented fixation of the tibial components demonstrated smaller displacement in relation to cementless fixation (with and without hydroxyapatite) after a follow-up of two years (maximum total point-motion, N = 167, two RCTs, mean difference (MD) = 0.52 mm, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.31 to 0.74). However, the risk of future aseptic loosening with uncemented fixation was approximately half that of cemented fixation according to the arthroplasty instability classification (moderate quality as assessed by GRADE) inferred from RSA (N = 216, three RCTs, risk ratio (RR) = 0.47, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.92) with a 16% absolute risk difference between groups. The number needed to treat for an additional beneficial outcome (NNTB) to prevent future aseptic loosening was 7 (95% CI 5 to 44). There was a low risk of bias for RSA among the studies included. It was not possible to perform meta-analysis on patient-important outcomes, such as the survival rate of the implant (any change of a component), patient global assessments, functional measures, pain, health-related quality of life measures and adverse events. Almost all included studies recorded functional measures of Knee Society and Hospital for Special Surgery knee scores, but the authors of each study found no significant difference between the groups., Authors' Conclusions: There was a smaller displacement of the cemented tibial component in relation to the cementless fixation in studies with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis participants who underwent primary total knee prosthesis with a follow-up of two years; however, the cemented fixation presented a greater risk of future aseptic loosening than cementless fixation.

Background: Exercise is one of the most common triggers of asthmatic symptoms. Many factors, including hyperventilation, determine the prevalence and severity of exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB). However, the influence of time of day has not been adequately described., Objective: We sought to compare morning and evening EIB and minute ventilation during exercise (VE)., Methods: Twenty-two patients with stable asthma and 12 control subjects underwent exercise challenge at 7 am and 6 pm. The time of the first challenge was randomly assigned; the second challenge was performed within 1 week of the first. The primary outcomes were EIB intensity (maximum fall in FEV(1)) and VE., Results: The asthma group exhibited lower EIB values in the morning: 14.8% +/- 3.7% at 7 am vs 21.4% +/- 4.2% at 6 pm (P =.004)-ie, 0.37 +/- 0.09 L vs 0.53 +/- 0.10 L, respectively (P =.002). VE was higher at 7 am (55.4 +/- 4.7 L/min) than at 6 pm (52.4 +/- 4.3 L/min; P =.03). Baseline FEV(1) increased from 2.33 +/- 0.13 L (morning) to 2.49 +/- 0.15 L (evening; P =.04), and a significant correlation between baseline FEV(1) and EIB was found in the evening (r = +0.5; P =.049) but not in the morning. Post-exercise FEV(1) was similar at 7 am (1.96 +/- 0.13 L) and 6 pm (1.97 +/- 0.14 L). For the control group, no changes were detected in FEV(1) fall or VE., Conclusion: Baseline airway caliber contributes to the mechanisms of the morning-to-evening EIB enhancement.