Faculty Bibliography

Objectives: Tranexamic acid (TXA) is a commonly used medication in orthopaedic procedures, reducing perioperative bleeding and need for transfusion. The purpose of this double-blind randomized controlled study was to evaluate if IV TXA for primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with bone-patella tendon-bone (BTB) could reduce perioperative blood loss or postoperative intra-articular hemarthrosis without postoperative drains.
Method(s): A controlled, randomized, double-blinded trial was conducted in 110 patients who underwent ACLR with BTB autograft. Patients were equally randomized to the control and experimental groups. The experimental group received two 1-gram boluses of IV TXA, one prior to tourniquet inflation and one prior to wound closure; the control group did not receive TXA. If a clinically significant hemarthrosis was evident, the knee was aspirated, and the volume of blood (ml) was recorded. Additionally, perioperative blood loss (ml); Visual Analog Scale (VAS) on postoperative days (POD) 1-7 and post-operative weeks (POW) 1, 6 and 12; postoperative opioid consumption POD 1-7; range of motion (ROM) and ability to straight leg raise (SLR) at POW 1, 6, 12; and pre and postoperative thigh circumference ratio (TCR).
Result(s): There was no significant difference in perioperative blood loss between the experimental and control groups (32.5ml v. 35.6ml, p=0.47). The experimental group had 23 knees aspirated; control group had 26 knees aspirated (p=0.56). No significant difference seen in postoperative hemarthrosis volume with IV TXA (26.7ml v. 37.3ml, p=0.12). There was no significant difference in VAS score between the two groups (p=0.15), additionally, there was no difference in postoperative opioid consumption (p=0.33). There was no significant difference in ROM or ability to SLR, or pre- nor post-operative TCR (p > 0.05 for all).
Conclusion(s): IV TXA in patients who undergo ACLR with BTB autograft does not significantly impact perioperative blood loss, postoperative hemarthrosis, or postoperative pain levels. Additionally, no significant differences were seen in early post-operative recovery regarding ROM or quadriceps reactivation

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to compare the outcomes of mini-open subpectoral biceps tenodesis (BT) to arthroscopic repair (AR) for SLAP tears in patients under 30.
Method(s): A retrospective review of patients who underwent either isolated BT or AR for the diagnosis of a SLAP tear was performed. Patients with a follow-up duration of <24 months were excluded. The American Shoulder & Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Subjective Shoulder Value (SSV), patient satisfaction, willingness to undergo surgery again, revisions, and return to work/sport were evaluated. A p value of <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.
Result(s): Our study included 103 patients in total; 29 patients were treated with BT, and 74 were treated with AR. The mean age was 24.8 years, 79.4% were male, and the mean follow-up duration was 60 months. At final follow up, there was no difference between treatment groups in any of the functional outcome measures assessed (p > 0.05). Overall, there was no significant difference in the total rate of RTP (BT: 76.3%, AR: 85%; p = 0.53), timing of RTP (BT: 8.8 months, AR: 9.4 months; p = 0.61), and total rate of RTP among overhead athletes (BT: 84.2%, AR: 83.3%; p = 1). However, there was a significantly lower rate of revision surgery with BT (0%) as compared to AR (14.1%; p = 0.03).
Conclusion(s): In patients under the age of 30 with isolated SLAP tear pathology, BT is a reliable alternative to AR, with a low rate of revision surgery, and excellent patient reported outcomes

Objectives: Superior-labrum anterior-posterior (SLAP) tears are common among athletic populations and may require surgical treatment. Return to play post-operatively may be complicated by a number of factors, including psychological readiness to return. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of the SLAP Return to Sport Index (SLAP-RSI) score to quantify psychological readiness to return to play following operative management of SLAP tears.
Method(s): A retrospective review of athletes who underwent operative management of SLAP tears with a minimum of 12-month follow-up was performed. Patients were evaluated for their psychological readiness to return to sport using the SLAP-RSI score. The SLAP-RSI score was created by adapting the terms in the Anterior (ACL-RSI score) with terms related to SLAP tears. A SLAP-RSI score > 56 is considered a passing score for being psychologically ready to return to play.
Result(s): The study included 174 athletes who underwent operative management of SLAP tears. Overall, 73.5% percent of patients were able to return to play, and the mean SLAP-RSI score in this cohort was 74.1+/-20.9, as compared to 46.7+/-27.7 in those who were unable to return (p<0.0001). Of those who returned, 82.1% passed the SLAP-RSI benchmark of 56, while of those who did not return, 33.3% passed the SLAP-RSI benchmark of 56. Additionally, a significant difference was found in each component of the SLAP-RSI score between the two cohorts (p<0.05). No individual component of the SLAP-RSI score was below 56 in patients who were able to return to play, while none was above 56 in those who were unable to return. Among patients who were unable to return, ones who cited lifestyle reasons had a higher SLAP-RSI score (77.4 +/- 21.8) than those who cited residual pain (28.2 +/- 15.1) or fear of re-injury (42.6 +/- 23.6) (p<0.0001).
Conclusion(s): Following the operative management of SLAP repair, patients that are unable to return to play exhibit poor psychological readiness to return which may be due to residual pain or fear of re-injury

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) is a term synonymous with orthopaedic clinical research over the past decade. The term represents the smallest change in a patient-reported outcome measure that is of genuine clinical value to patients. It has been derived in a myriad of ways in existing orthopaedic literature. PURPOSE/UNASSIGNED:To describe the various modalities for deriving the MCID. STUDY DESIGN/UNASSIGNED:Narrative review; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:The definitions of common MCID determinations were first identified. These were then evaluated by their clinical and statistical merits and limitations. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:There are 3 primary ways for determining the MCID: anchor-based analysis, distribution-based analysis, and sensitivity- and specificity-based analysis. Each has unique strengths and weaknesses with respect to its ability to evaluate the patient's clinical status change from baseline to posttreatment. Anchor-based analyses are inherently tied to clinical status yet lack standardization. Distribution-based analyses are the opposite, with strong foundations in statistics, yet they fail to adequately address the clinical status change. Sensitivity and specificity analyses offer a compromise of the other methodologies but still rely on a somewhat arbitrarily defined global transition question. CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:This current concepts review demonstrates the need for (1) better standardization in the establishment of MCIDs for orthopaedic patient-reported outcome measures and (2) better study design-namely, until a universally accepted MCID derivation exists, studies attempting to derive the MCID should utilize the anchor-based within-cohort design based on Food and Drug Administration recommendations. Ideally, large studies reporting the MCID as an outcome will also derive the value for their populations. It is important to consider that there may be reasonable replacements for current derivations of the MCID. As such, future research should consider an alternative threshold score with a more universal method of derivation.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW/OBJECTIVE:This manuscript reviews relevant prior literature regarding management of immunosuppressants in patients with rheumatic diseases around the time of orthopedic surgery, highlighting important considerations specifically regarding arthroscopy. RECENT FINDINGS/RESULTS:Utilization rates of arthroscopic surgery in patients with rheumatic diseases are on the rise, as immunosuppressive treatment options enable them to lead more active lives and hence experience more injuries. Physicians regularly manage patients' glucocorticoids and conventional synthetic and biologic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs around the time of orthopedic surgery, aiming to minimize infection risk while optimizing disease control. However, there is a paucity of randomized controlled trial data for orthopedic surgery-and specifically nothing in the literature pertaining to arthroscopic surgery. Recent guidelines for rheumatic disease patients undergoing elective total hip and knee arthroplasty recommend that most immunosuppressive medications should be held perioperatively, citing the high-risk profile of arthroplasty cases and arthroplasty patients. While 2017 societal guidelines for perioperative immunosuppression during arthroplasty currently serve as a guide for physicians, they may not be applicable to arthroscopy. The less aggressive arthroscopic surgeries span a broader range of patient ages and risk profiles, indications for surgery, and procedural complexity and associated risks. Given these considerations, the majority of routine arthroscopic patients may not require holding of their immunosuppressive medications in the perioperative period.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating joint disease characterized by progressive loss of articular cartilage. Intra-articular injections are a mainstay of nonoperative treatment, however, there is controversy as to the optimal injectable for these patients. The purpose of the current study is to perform a network meta-analysis of the randomized control trials in the literature to ascertain whether there is a superior injectable nonoperative treatment for knee OA. METHODS:The literature search was conducted based on the PRISMA guidelines. Randomized control trials (RCTs) evaluating intra-articular injectables in osteoarthritic knees were included. Data was extracted and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores, where available were analyzed at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. Clinical outcomes were compared using a frequentist approach to network meta-analysis, with statistical analysis performed using R. The treatment options were ranked using the P-Score. RESULTS:Seventy-nine RCTs with 8761 patients were included in this review. Intra-articular injectables evaluated included autologous conditioned serum (ACS), bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC), botulinum toxin, corticosteroids (CS), hyaluronic acid (HA), mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), ozone, saline placebo, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), plasma rich in growth factor (PRGF), and stromal vascular fraction (SVF). At 4-6 weeks and 3 months of follow-up, the treatment with the highest P-Score for WOMAC score was high molecular weight (HMW) HA + CS [P-Score = 0.9500 and 8503, respectively]. At 6-months follow-up, the treatment with the highest P-Score for WOMAC score was PRP [P-Score = 0.7676]. At all post-injection time points, the treatment with the highest P-Score for VAS score [P-Score Range = 0.8631-9927] and Womac score at 12 Months [P-Score = 0.9044] was SVF. CONCLUSIONS:The current evidence shows that SVF injections result in the greatest improvement in pain and functional outcomes in patients with knee OA at up to 1 year of follow-up.

PUPROSE/UNASSIGNED:The purpose of this study is to systematically review the literature and evaluate patient-reported outcomes and complication/revision rates of bone-block augmentation in the treatment of posterior shoulder instability (PSI). METHODS:PUBMED was searched according to PRIMSA guidelines to find clinical studies evaluating patient-report outcomes, revision and complication rates in posterior bone block for posterior shoulder instability. A literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and The Cochrane Library, was performed based on the PRISMA guidelines. Clinical studies reporting on the complications following posterior bone block were included. RESULTS:Overall, 11 (LOE III: 2, LOE IV: 9) studies met inclusion criteria, with 225 shoulders. Recurrent instability after the posterior bone block was found to be 9.8%. The overall complication rate was 13.8%, with 0.89% having graft complications, 11.1% having hardware complications, 0.4% having wound complications, 0.4% having nerve complications, and 0.89% having other complications. Residual pain was found in 11.6% of shoulders operated on. Patient-reported outcomes were evaluated most commonly by Rowe (81.4), Constant (84.6), and Walch - Duplay (81.6). CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:There is a moderate rate of recurrence following posterior bone block for PSI. However, the patient-reported outcomes are high despite there being commonly reported persistent shoulder pain postoperatively. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE/METHODS:Level IV; Systematic Review.

CASE:A 41-year-old man presented with a transverse patella fracture and proximal patellar tendon avulsion after a fall from standing. Disruption of the extensor mechanism of the knee at multiple points is rare. He was treated operatively for his patella fracture and patellar tendon avulsion but experienced early failure of the patellar tendon fixation requiring reoperation. Both components of injury ultimately healed, and he returned to function. CONCLUSION:This case describes a rare presentation of an uncommon injury pattern affecting the extensor mechanism. This is the first report to describe multifocal failure of the extensor chain from a low-energy mechanism.

BACKGROUND:Graft failure following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is a devastating complication. Risk factors such as patient characteristics and tunnel positions are well described. The relationship between graft dimension and failure rates has been investigated mainly in soft tissue grafts. Less studied are the effects of patella tendon (PT) dimensions on the risk of graft failure following patella tendon autograft (PTA) reconstructions. PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:The purpose of the current study was to investigate if patellar tendon thickness measured on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) predicts failure after ACLR using PTA. METHODS:This was an institutional review board approved, single-center, retrospective case-control study comparing patients' preoperative patellar tendon thickness between July 2005 and January 2017. Sixteen patients (mean age 21.2 ± 5.0 years) with PTA failure requiring revision surgery were identified and compared to 34 control patients who had undergone primary ACLR with PTA without failure with a minimum of 2-years follow-up. Patients with failure were matched at approximately 1:2 based on age, sex, height, weight, associated meniscus injury, and associated meniscal surgery. Patellar tendon dimensions were measured at the inferior pole of the patella (IPP), tibial tubercle insertion (TT), and longitudinal midpoint (MP) on preoperative axial and sagittal cut MRIs. Interclass correlation coefficeint (ICC) and Bland-Altman analyses were evaluated to determine inter-observer reliability. The two cohorts were compared using independent samples t-tests and analysis of variance. RESULTS:All ACLR failures occurred after a non-contact, pivot type injury. There were no significant differences in age, sex, height, weight, meniscal injury, or meniscal surgery between the two groups. Mean time between primary ACLR and revision was 2.6 ± 2.6 years and mean follow-up time was 3.1 ± 1.0 years in the control group. Patellar tendon length and width were not significantly different between the two groups. The average thickness at both the inferior pole and longitudinal midpoint was significantly higher in the failure group compared to controls (IPP: 5.04 ± 1.1 mm versus 4.33 ± 0.7 mm, p = 0.01; MP: 4.60 ± 0.7 mm versus 4.22 ± 0.5 mm, p = 0.03). Additionally, ICC was high across all measurements, with all values > 0.978. Similarly, all values demonstrated bias of less than ± 0.05. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Patella tendon autograft anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction failures had significantly thicker patellar tendons at the inferior pole and longitudinal midpoint of the patella tendon.