Pediatric anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction outcomes

Bone-patellar tendon-bone, hamstring, and quadriceps tendon autografts for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in skeletally immature patients: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Historically, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures in the paediatric age group were managed conservatively with bracing, casting, activity modification, and physical therapy. However, most of these patients had to reduce their sports activities, and secondary damages to the affected knee were prevalent.

SOURCE OF DATA

Published scientific literature in Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases.

AREAS OF AGREEMENT

ACL reconstruction in children with open physes patients is debated. Any damage to the physes around the knee could lead to growth abnormalities and axial deviation of the knee.

AREAS OF CONTROVERSY

Different grafts are available and suitable for ACL reconstruction in skeletally immature patients; however, which graft performs better remains unclear.

GROWING POINTS

This systematic review compared bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB), hamstring tendon (HT), and quadriceps tendon (QT) autografts for ACL reconstruction in skeletally immature patients. The joint laxity, Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), return to sport, and complications were compared.

AREAS TIMELY FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH

In skeletally immature patients, HT, BPTB, and QT autografts for ACL reconstruction yielded good outcomes. Comparative studies are strongly required to establish the most suitable autograft.

Quadriceps Tendon Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Skeletally Immature Patients: 3-Year Clinical and Patient-Reported Outcomes

BACKGROUND

The rate of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture in active, skeletally immature patients is increasing. Although hamstring tendon autograft (HTA) was previously deemed the gold standard, recent studies have shown HTA to have a high failure rate in this high-risk population of young competitive athletes, and quadriceps tendon autograft (QTA) has yielded excellent preliminary outcomes in some studies examining this population.

PURPOSE

To evaluate 3-year clinical and patient-reported functional outcomes of primary ACL reconstruction (ACLR) with soft tissue QTA in skeletally immature patients.

STUDY DESIGN

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

METHODS

Skeletally immature patients who underwent ACLR with a full-thickness soft tissue QTA were included. Preoperative patient and surgical data were collected. The ACLR technique was selected predicated upon skeletal age and included all-epiphyseal and complete transphyseal techniques. Patients were followed for a minimum of 2 years with successive clinical visits or were contacted via telephone. Patients who did not have minimum 2-year follow-up after 3 contact attempts via telephone were excluded. Information regarding return to sports (RTS) and concomitant or subsequent surgical procedures was collected. Pediatric International Knee Documentation Committee (Pedi-IKDC), Hospital for Special Surgery Functional Activity Brief Scale (HSS Pedi-FABS), and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) scores were collected.

RESULTS

Of 85 adolescent patients aged 11.1 to 17.6 years (mean age, 14.1 ± 1.2 years), 2 patients were determined to be lost to follow-up after 3 failed contact attempts. Of the patients included in this study (N = 83), 26 patients (31%) underwent all-epiphyseal and 57 patients (69%) underwent complete transphyseal ACLR. Additionally, 48 patients (58%) underwent concomitant lateral extra-articular tenodesis using the iliotibial band with a modified Lemaire technique. The mean follow-up time was 3.7 ± 1.2 years (range, 2-7 years). Twenty (24%) patients had subsequent surgical procedures, of which 3 (4%) were due to graft failures. At a mean 3-year follow-up, the mean Pedi-IKDC, HSS Pedi-FABS, and SANE scores were 90, 23, and 94 respectively; the RTS rate was 100%; and the rate of RTS at the previous level of performance was 93%.

CONCLUSION

Use of a soft tissue QTA for ALCR in a high-risk skeletally immature population of athletes resulted in excellent postoperative outcomes with low rates of graft failure and high return to sport rates.

Transphyseal ACL reconstruction and tenodesis in skeletally immature patients demonstrates encouraging clinical scores, without growth disturbance, excessive laxity or re-injury

Purpose

Paediatric patients demonstrate high re-rupture rates after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), with numerous surgical techniques proposed to deal with this challenging cohort. This study investigated the early clinical outcomes, complications, return to sport (RTS) and re-rupture rates up until 2-years post-surgery in paediatric patients presenting with open growth plates undergoing transphyseal ACLR that was combined with an extra-articular tenodesis (LET).

Methods

Between October 2017 and September 2020, 20 skeletally immature patients were consecutively recruited and underwent transphyseal ACLR and LET. Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs), KT-1000 laxity, knee range of motion (ROM), maximal isokinetic knee torque and a 3-hop battery were assessed at 6-, 12- and 24-months. Limb Symmetry Indices (LSIs), RTS rates, complications, re-ruptures and re-operations were reviewed.

Results

All PROMs improved (p < 0.05). No change (p = 0.903) in laxity between limbs was seen, while 18 patients (90%) demonstrated normal (<3 mm) or near normal (3-5 mm) laxity differences. Peak knee flexion ROM improved over time (p = 0.028), while LSIs for knee extensor strength (p < 0.001), the single (p = 0.002) and triple crossover (p = 0.038) hop tests improved. At 24 months, 18 patients (90%) were participating in their pre-injury pivoting sport activities. No complications, growth disturbances, re-injuries or subsequent surgeries were observed.

Conclusions

Transphyseal ACLR combined with LET, undertaken in skeletally immature paediatric patients, demonstrated high scoring PROMs, physical performance and RTS overall, without evidence of growth disturbance or excessive graft laxity. No re-injuries have been observed at this time with ongoing review required in this high-risk cohort.

Pediatric ACL Reconstruction in Children-An Evaluation of the Transphyseal Technique's Efficacy and Safety

INTRODUCTION

Injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are commonly found in the general population, both among adult and pediatric patients, and their incidence has been increasing in recent years. Most of the late literature agrees that surgical reconstruction of the ACL is effective in improving long-term outcomes in pediatric patients, while others in the past have pleaded for non-surgical management.

PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS

Our study aims to verify if ACL reconstruction (ACLR) using transphyseal technique in skeletally immature patients will provide angular deviations or growth restrictions.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study; Level of evidence 4.

METHODS

We perfomed a retrospective study to verify if transphyseal ACLR in children with less than or equal to 2 years of remaining growth leads to either limb length discrepancies or axis deviations.

RESULTS

Most patients who were treated using transphyseal technique showed significant improvements in their functional scores. There were statistically significant differences in lateral distal femoral angles (LDFA) and medial proximal tibial angles (MPTA), with no clinical impact. There was no significant limb length discrepancy (LLD) during the 2-year follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Transphyseal ACLR is safe among children who have less than or equal to 2 years of remaining growth and brings no risk of axis deviations or limb length discrepancy.

Quadriceps tendon autograft is promising with lower graft rupture rates and better functional Lysholm scores than hamstring tendon autograft in pediatric ACL reconstruction. A systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose

Graft rupture is the most prevalent complication following pediatric anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). The hamstring tendon (HT) autograft is frequently employed, while the quadriceps tendon (QT) autograft has garnered increased attention recently. This study aims to perform a systematic review to assess the complication rates and functional outcomes associated with these two widely used autografts in skeletally immature patients - comparing HT versus QT autografts.

Research question

Is QT autograft better than HT autograft for ACLR in skeletally immature cohorts?

Methodology

Three electronic databases (PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Ovid) were comprehensively searched to identify pertinent articles reporting the outcomes of HT and QT autografts in pediatric ACLR with a minimum 2-year follow-up. Data on the outcome parameters, such as graft rupture rates, contralateral ACL injury rates, functional outcomes, and growth disturbances rates, were extracted. Meta-analysis was performed using OpenMeta Analyst software.

Results

Twelve studies were included for meta-analysis (pooled analysis) with 659 patients (QT: 205; HT: 454). The analysis showed that QT autografts had a significantly lesser graft rupture rate than HT autografts (3.5 % [95 % CI 0.2, 6.8] and 12.4 % [95 % CI 6.1, 18.7] respectively, p < 0.001). The graft rupture rates between QT with bone and without bone block showed no statistically significant difference (4.6 % [95 % CI 0.8, 1.0] and 3.5 % [95 % CI 2.0, 8.9] respectively, p = 0.181). The overall contralateral ACL injury rate was 10.2 %, and the subgroup analysis revealed no statistically significant difference between the QT and HT groups (p = 0.7). Regarding functional outcome scores at the final follow-up, the mean Lysholm score demonstrated a significant increase in the QT group compared to the HT group (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences between the two groups concerning growth disturbances at the final follow-up. Return to sports (RTS) varied between 6 and 13.5 months after surgery.

Conclusion

QT autografts demonstrate encouraging outcomes, showcasing lower graft rupture rates, better functional outcomes, and comparable contralateral ACL injury rates and growth disturbances relative to the commonly used HT autograft in skeletally immature patients undergoing ACLR.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears in the Adolescent Population: Injury Demographics and Risk of Reinjury Among High School Athletes

BACKGROUND

The incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries is increasing among the adolescent population with a peak occurring in the high school age range.

PURPOSE

To characterize recent epidemiologic trends of ACL injuries, ACL reconstruction (ACLR), and retear rates in high school adolescents based on age, participating sport, and mechanism of injury.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective case series.

METHODS

A prospectively maintained institutional database was retrospectively reviewed for all patients 18 or younger who underwent primary ACLR between 2015 and 2020. Odds ratios were calculated for baseline patient characteristics and their association with risk of retear. Multivariate regression analysis was also performed to identify the relationship between retear and specific categorical variables.

RESULTS

A total of 482 patients were included, with a mean follow-up time of 13.0 ± 11.8 months. Patients were an average age of 16.1 ± 1.3 years old (range: 13 to 18 y). Initial presentation of ACL injuries in high school athletes often occurred at 16 years old regardless of the sport played. Based on age, high school freshmen and seniors are found to have an increased risk of ACL retear. One hundred three patients (21.6%) completed at least 2 or more years of follow-up after ACLR. Of these patients, 38.8% received a bone-tendon-bone (BTB) autograft, 36.9% hamstring autograft, 14.6% quadriceps tendon autograft, and 3.9% received hamstring allograft or other graft (eg, tibialis anterior and BTB allograft), respectively. There were 25 ipsilateral ACL retears that occurred in the patient cohort (5.2%). Thirteen (52%) of retears were females. Football and soccer were the most common sports played by patients with a retear of the ipsilateral knee (31.8% and 27.3%, respectively). Patients who were 13 to 14 or 18 years old ( P = 0.009 and 0.035, respectively) or who received a tibialis anterior/BTB allograft ( P = 0.002) were found to have increased risk of ACL retear compared with other age groups. When evaluating by sex, female soccer players had a greater risk of retear compared with male soccer players ( P = 0.007). When adjusting for multiple variables, (including age, sex, body mass index, primary reconstruction graft choice, sport, and length of follow-up), the odds of ipsilateral retear in patients who received hamstring autograft ( P = 0.02), sustained a contralateral ACL tear ( P = 0 .04), or a contact injury ( P = 0.01) were increased.

CONCLUSION

Initial presentation of ACL injuries in high school athletes often occurs at 16 years old regardless of the sport played. Based on age, high school freshmen and seniors are found to have an increased risk of ACL retear. However, the overall rate of ACL retear in high school athletes of all ages is low. Patients who underwent ACLR with hamstring tendon autograft had a greater risk of retear compared with other graft types. Female soccer players also had a greater risk of ACL retear. High school athletes must take caution when in the early high school years (underclassman) and more senior years (upperclassman), as susceptibility for ACL retears is elevated.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV.

Quadriceps tendon autograft for pediatric anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction results in promising postoperative function and rates of return to sports: A systematic review

PURPOSE

To assess the performance of the quadriceps tendon (QT) autograft in pediatric anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR).

METHODS

A systematic search of MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE was conducted on March 1, 2021. Studies of all levels of evidence reporting outcomes and/or complications after QT autograft ACLR in pediatric patients (≤ 18 years old) were eligible for inclusion. Study demographics, patient demographics, reported outcomes, and complications were abstracted. Screening and data abstraction were designed in accordance with PRISMA and R-AMSTAR guidelines. Descriptive statistics were presented when applicable, with data for heterogeneous outcomes presented in narrative summary fashion.

RESULTS

A total of 14 studies examining 596 patients (46.3% female), mean age 15.4 years, were included in this systematic review. Mean postoperative Lysholm scores ranged from 94.0 to 99.5. Mean postoperative IKDC subjective scores ranged from 75.9 to 94.0. Limb symmetry index ranged from 96.8 ± 10.4 to 100.4 ± 7.6% across multiple hop tests. Return to sports (RTS) rates ranged from 88.9 to 91.7%. Eleven studies reported postoperative complications, whereby 16 patients (4.8%) experienced contralateral complications and injuries. Forty-six patients (9.4%) experienced ipsilateral complications, including ten graft failures (2.5%) and two growth disturbances (0.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

QT autograft ACLR in the pediatric population retains the potential of regaining a preinjury level of knee stability, and yields promising postoperative function and rates of RTS, yielding comparable outcomes relative to HT autograft and the reference-standard BPTB ACLR that have previously been described in the literature. Moreover, use of the QT autograft is associated with low rates of postoperative complications, including graft failure and growth disturbances in this active and high-risk patient population in observational studies to date. Therefore, clinical equipoise exists to further appraise the influence of QT autograft on postoperative outcomes compared to aforementioned autograft options in a randomized control trial fashion.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.

The Spectrum of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Options for the Pediatric and Adolescent Patient: A Narrative Review

As youth sports participation has increased in recent years, injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) have become increasingly common in pediatric patients. Historically, ACL reconstruction was delayed in pediatric patients to avoid physeal damage with the potential for leg-length discrepancy or angular deformity. Current research shows that delaying reconstruction or choosing nonoperative management is associated with increased rates of meniscal and chondral injuries, persistent knee instability, and low rates of return to previous activity. Early ACL reconstruction using techniques to avoid physeal growth disturbance is now widely accepted among physicians. The purpose of this review was to describe the pediatric ACL in terms of the relevant anatomy and biomechanics, physical examination, and diagnostic imaging. In addition, the importance of skeletal age and possible physeal injury is discussed in the context of ACL reconstruction options by skeletal age and remaining growth potential.

Rates of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rerupture in Adolescent Patients with and without Patella Alta

The objective of this study was to compare rates of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) failure among adolescent patients to evaluate patella alta as a high-risk variable. Demographic and surgical data were retrospectively queried for patients ≤18 years of age with primary ACL reconstruction performed at a single academic center between 2011 and 2016 and minimum of 2-year clinical surveillance. Patellar height indices, including Caton-Deschamps index (CDI) and Insall-Salvati index (ISI), were retrospectively calculated from preoperative imaging to assess the presence of patella alta. Failure was defined as (1) ACL graft rerupture, (2) Lachman's grade 2 + , (3) presence of pivot shift, and (4) side-to-side difference of 3 mm on KT-1000 arthrometer. A total of 184 patients (84 females and 100 males) and 192 knees were identified, with an average age of 16.2 ± 1.8 years. Of these, 30 (15.63%) experienced ACL failure. Male sex was the only significant risk factor for rerupture (p = 0.026). The mean CDI was 1.06 ± 0.17 and mean ISI was 1.04 ± 0.15. Of the 49 knees that met criteria for patella alta on radiographic evaluation, rerupture occurred in seven (14.29%). Patella alta was not a significant risk factor for ACL failure among adolescent patients (p = 0.359 and 0.277). Only male sex was associated with increased rates of ACL failure. Age, graft selection technique, fixation construct, and presence of patella alta were not risk factors for reinjury. This study is a therapeutic case series and reflects level of evidence IV.

Establishing Clinically Significant Outcomes After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Pediatric Patients

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to establish clinically significant outcome values for the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and patient acceptable symptomatic state (PASS) after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) in the pediatric and adolescent populations and to assess factors that were associated with achieving these outcomes.

METHODS

Patients between the age of 10 to 21 who underwent ACLR between 2016 and 2018 were identified and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were collected preoperatively and postoperatively. Intraoperative variables collected included graft choice, graft size (diameter), graft fixation method, and concomitant procedures. PROs collected for analysis were the International Knee Documentation Committee Score (IKDC) and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). MCID and PASS were calculated using receiver operating characteristic with area under the curve analyses for delta (ie, baseline-to-postoperative change) and absolute postoperative PRO scores, respectively.

RESULTS

A total of 59 patients were included in the analysis. Of the entire study population, 53 (89.8%) reported satisfaction with their surgical outcome. The established MCID threshold values based on the study population were 33.3 for IKDC, 28.6 for (KOOS) Symptoms, 19.4 for Pain, 2.9 for activities of daily living (ADL), 45.0 for Sport, and 25.0 for Quality of Life (QoL). Postoperative scores greater than the following values corresponded to the PASS: 80.5 for IKDC, 75.0 (KOOS) Symptoms, 88.9 for Pain, 98.5 for ADL, 75.0 for Sport, and 68.8 for QoL.

CONCLUSION

Clinically meaningful outcomes including MCID and PASS were established for pediatric ACLR surgery using selected PRO measures, IKDC, and KOOS. Patient age, sex, graft type, and graft size were not associated with greater achievement of these outcomes. In contrast, collision sports, fixed-object high-impact rotational landing sports, and concomitant meniscectomy surgery were associated with a decreased likelihood of achieving clinically significant improvement. However, findings must be interpreted with caution due to limitations in follow-up and sample size.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV: case series.

Lateral extra-articular tenodesis and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in young patients: clinical results and return to sport

Lateral extra-articular tenodesis (L.E.T.) have been proposed to reduce the tibia's anterior translation and internal rotation in concomitant to Anterior cruciate ligament (A.C.L.) reconstruction. Recent studies show that the addition of L.E.T. to A.C.L. reconstruction results in a statistically significant reduction in graft failure. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes, complications, and rate of return to preinjury sports level in pediatric patients who underwent combined A.C.L. reconstruction with L.E.T. at a minimum 2-year follow-up. The authors retrospectively evaluated 42 pediatric patients at high risk of graft failure who experienced ACLR connected to L.E.T. IKDC and Tegner-Lysholm Knee Scores Scale were used to assess clinical outcomes, and the Tegner Activity Scale to evaluate the return to sport. No graft failure or subsequent surgery related to A.C.L. reconstruction occurred. Furthermore, 88% of patients returned to the sport. Satisfactory clinical results were obtained on a short and medium-term follow-up. These findings help to consider this procedure for active adolescents at a high risk of graft failure to enhance A.C.L. reconstruction.

Current trends in the anterior cruciate ligament part II: evaluation, surgical technique, prevention, and rehabilitation

Clinical evaluation and management of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is one of the most widely researched topics in orthopedic sports medicine, giving providers ample data on which to base their practices. The ACL is also the most commonly treated knee ligament. This study reports on current topics and research in clinical management of ACL injury, starting with evaluation, operative versus nonoperative management, and considerations in unique populations. Discussion of graft selection and associated procedures follows. Areas of uncertainty, rehabilitation, and prevention are the final topics before a reflection on the current state of ACL research and clinical management of ACL injury. Level of evidence V.

Complication rates following all-epiphyseal ACL reconstructions in skeletally immature patients: A retrospective case series study

The aim was to evaluate the safety of a physeal-sparing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction technique (ACLR), performed with Orthopediatrics (Warsaw, IN) equipment, by assessing complications.Skeletally immature patients who underwent all-epiphyseal ACLR between 2015 and 2017 with postoperative follow-up were included in this retrospective study. Complications, demographic, clinical, surgical, and imaging data was retrieved from an urban tertiary pediatric hospital database. Physeal status, limb-length discrepancies (LLD), and angular deformities were assessed on preoperative and postoperative radiographs, growth disturbances were reported, and initial and follow-up diameters of tunnels were compared.Nineteen ACLRs were included from 18 patients, 4 females and 14 males, with bone age at surgery of 13.3 ± 1.0 years. At a mean follow-up of 19.2 ± 10.1 months, there were no symptomatic growth disorders requiring intervention. There were: 2 (11.1%) unilateral early physeal closures, 2 (10.5%) new angular deformities (5°-10°), 4 (22.2%) LLD (1-2 cm), 1 (5.6%) contralateral ACLR, 1 (5.6%) femoral screw removal, 2 (10.5%) graft ruptures, and 1 meniscal tear (5.3%). Mean tunnel widening was 1.7 mm and 1.5 mm on the femoral and tibial side, respectively, and no massive osteolysis was recorded at the polyetheretherketone implant site.The complication rates were comparable to those in similar studies, with no growth-related complications at 19.2 months.

An insight of how multiple skeletal maturity indices can be used for growth assessment: relationship between the simplified olecranon, simplified digital, and distal radius and ulna classifications

This cross-sectional study aims to investigate the relationship between the simplified olecranon, simplified digital, and distal radius and ulna (DRU) classifications, and whether they can aid in more comprehensive maturity assessment together. Left hand and wrist and lateral elbow radiographs from pediatric patients were assessed using the three skeletal maturity indices. The association between maturity indices was investigated using Goodman and Kruskal's gamma, and by mapping of individual grades based on chronological age. Specific maturity grades, at which peak height velocity (PHV) occurs as previously identified, were based upon to explore how the three systems interact. A total of 114 patients (63.2% girls) were studied. Correlations and associations between the three maturity parameters were significant (all at P < 0.001). Mapping revealed uneven spans and coverage of different periods by each index. Olecranon stage 1 coincided with R3 (for girls), R4 (for boys), U3, and SS1. Olecranon stage 5 occurred as early as R7, U6, and SS4. Upon elbow fusion, the simplified digital (SS5-SS8) and DRU (R8-R11 and U7-U9) classifications can be used for assessment until maturity. The inter-relationship of the simplified hand, wrist, and olecranon methods indicates their combined use. DRU grades can be used in growth periods which are less well covered. Prepubertal and growth acceleration phase of pubertal growth spurt can best be assessed by both the simplified olecranon (stages 1-3) and DRU classifications (R1-R5 and U1-U4). All three indices are required during PHV. For post-PHV, DRU (R8-R11 and U7-U9) and simplified digital method (SS5-SS8) complement each other for assessment until skeletal maturity.

Trends of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in children and young adolescents in Italy show a constant increase in the last 15 years

PURPOSE

The aim of this 15-year nationwide study was to investigate the trend in ACL reconstructive surgeries in patients younger than 15 years old in Italy, as well as their social and economic impact.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The National Hospital Discharge records (SDO) collected by the Italian Ministry of Health in the 15-year period between 2001 and 2015 were analyzed. This contains anonymous data including patients' age, gender, ICD-9-CM codes for diagnosis and intervention, census region, region of hospitalization, length of the hospitalization, and public or private reimbursement.

RESULTS

1,350 ACL reconstructions were performed in Italy in the population younger than 15 years old, with an incidence rate ranging from 0.16 to 2.04 procedures per 100,000 age-matched individuals. Similarly, the percentage of surgeries in 0-14 year old patients increased with respect to the total number of ACL reconstruction from 0.13% in 2001 to 0.95% in 2015. The age range 10-14 years is the most involved, accounting for 97.3% of surgeries recorded in the study period. The male:female ratio was 1.05 and most of these procedures were performed in the North of Italy (78.3%).

CONCLUSION

ACL reconstructions in patients aged 10-14 years are increasing constantly since 2001, and thus, specific actions aimed to define the best management strategy as well as national educational programs to prepare the future surgeons to this new reality are mandatory in the interest of the public health.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III.

All Inside Intraepiphyseal ACL Reconstruction Using Flexible Curved Instrumentation and Intraoperative Fluoroscopy in a Skeletally Immature Patient

Case

A 13-year-old skeletally immature female presenting with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture after a noncontact injury was treated with an intraepiphyseal ACL reconstruction. Flexible instrumentation was utilized to drill a femoral tunnel with an anatomic starting point, with a trajectory that curved inferolaterally away from the physis. At three years postoperatively, she had returned to her preinjury functioning and did not display any lower limb length growth abnormalities.

Conclusions

The novel application of curved guides and flexible instruments, with intraoperative fluoroscopy, facilitated growth plate avoidance and a successful outcome of ACL reconstruction in a skeletally immature patient.

Failure Rates of Autograft and Allograft ACL Reconstruction in Patients 19 Years of Age and Younger: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Graft choice for pediatric anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is determined by several factors. There is limited information on the use and outcomes of allograft ACLR in pediatric patients. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to quantify reported failure rates of allograft versus autograft ACLR in patients ≤19 years of age with ≥2 years of follow-up. We hypothesized that there would be higher rates of failure for allograft compared with autograft ACLR in this population.

METHODS

PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase databases were systematically searched for literature regarding allograft and autograft ACLR in pediatric/adolescent patients. Articles were included if they described a cohort of patients with average age of ≤19 years, had a minimum of 2 years of follow-up, described graft failure as an outcome, and had a Level of Evidence grade of I to III. Qualitative review and quantitative meta-analysis were performed to compare graft failure rates. A random-effects model was created to compare failure events in patients receiving allograft versus autograft in a pairwise fashion. Data analysis was completed using RevMan 5.3 software (The Cochrane Collaboration).

RESULTS

The database search identified 1,604 studies; 203 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria for qualitative review; 5 studies were included for quantitative meta-analysis. Bone-patellar tendon-bone (BTB) represented 58.2% (n = 1,012) of the autografts, and hamstring grafts represented 41.8% (n = 727). Hybrid allografts (autograft + supplemental allograft) represented 12.8% (n = 18) of all allograft ACLRs (n = 141). The unweighted, pooled failure rate for each graft type was 8.5% for BTB, 16.6% for hamstring, and 25.5% for allograft. Allografts were significantly more likely than autografts to result in graft failure (odds ratio, 3.87; 95% confidence interval, 2.24 to 6.69).

CONCLUSIONS

Allograft ACLR in pediatric and adolescent patients should be used judiciously, as existing studies revealed a significantly higher failure rate for allograft compared with autograft ACLR in this patient population. Additional studies are needed to improve the understanding of variables associated with the high ACLR failure rate among pediatric and adolescent patients.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

All-epiphyseal anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction produces good functional outcomes and low complication rates in pediatric patients: a systematic review

PURPOSE

To assess the literature on indications, outcomes, and complications in pediatric patients undergoing all-epiphyseal (AE) anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR).

METHODS

PubMed, Medline, and Embase were searched for literature evaluating AE ACLR in pediatric patients. All included studies were assessed for quality using the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS). Descriptive statistics are presented where applicable.

RESULTS

Overall, 17 studies comprising 545 patients, with a mean age of 12.0 ± 1.2 (range 8-19) met the inclusion criteria. The graft choices in this systematic review included hamstring tendon autografts (75.4%, n = 403), quadriceps tendon autograft (6.2%, n = 33), Achilles tendon allograft (3.6%, n = 19) and posterior tibialis tendon allograft in one patient (0.2%, n = 1). Time of return-to-sport ranged from 8 to 22 months. Postoperative subjective IKDC scores were above 90 points. The rate of return-to-sport after AE ACLR was 93.2% (n = 219/235) and 77.9% (n = 142/183) of patients returned to sport at pre-injury level. The overall complication rate was 9.8% (n = 53/545) with the most common complication being ACL re-rupture (5.0%; n = 27/545). Only 1.5% (n = 8/545) of patients demonstrated growth disturbances.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the AE ACLR technique can achieve good postoperative functional outcomes while notably minimizing the incidence of primary issue of physeal disruption and potential associated leg-length discrepancies. AE ACLR should be considered in pediatric patients with at least 2 years of skeletal growth remaining based on radiographic bone age to minimize the impact of growth-related complications.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV (Systematic Review of Level III and IV evidence).

Preoperative prediction of autologous hamstring graft diameter in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Currently, there is no stablished pre-operative model that helps the orthopaedic surgeon predict the final graft diameter in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a correlation between semitendinosus (ST) and gracilis (GT) cross-sectional area (CSA) evaluated pre-operatively in mm² using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the final intra-operative ST-GT autograft diameter in mm².

METHODS

A retrospective study was designed, 89 patients undergoing ACLR with hamstring autograft participated. We analysed ST-CSA (mm²) and GT-CSA (mm²) using pre-operative MRI, intra-operative autograft diameter, age, sex, side of the injury, weight, height and body mass index (BMI).

RESULTS

A moderate-strong correlation was identified between final autograft diameter and ST-GT CSA in MRI (Pearson correlation coefficient .6911 P<.001). We observed that, if the combination of ST-CSA and GT-STA is at least 19mm², the probability of obtaining an autograft with a diameter greater than or equal to 8mm is 91.8% or more. The ROC curve analysis demonstrated, in this model, that this predictive method on MRI correctly discriminates in over 95.6% of cases between achieving or otherwise an autograft greater than or equal to 8mm during surgery. Intra and interobserver concordance of the MRI measurements were excellent, as shown in the intraobserver intraclass correlation coefficient (CCI) of .79 and the interobserver CCI of .84 and .77 for the ST and GT respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative determinations of ST-CSA and GT-CSA (mm²) using MRI correlate with the final autograft diameter. This method represents a reliable and reproducible model to predict the hamstring autograft diameter in ACLR.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Retrospective cohort study, level IV.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

A review of the available literature reveals a higher risk of ACL failure or re-rupture if the graft is smaller than 8mm in diameter. Despite being an important factor there is no established pre-operative model that predicts the final graft diameter. Knowing beforehand the possibilities of obtaining a hamstring autograft with a diameter greater than or equal to 8mm would help the orthopaedic surgeon to better plan the surgery and to anticipate the need for other graft options (such as bone-patellar-tendon-bone autograft or allografts, amongst other alternatives).

Paediatric and adolescent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery

Aims

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery in children and the adolescent population has increased steadily over recent years. We used a national database to look at trends in ACL reconstruction and rates of serious complications, growth disturbance, and revision surgery, over 20 years.

Methods

All hospital episodes for patients undergoing ACL reconstruction, under the age of 20 years, between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 2017, were extracted by procedure code from the national Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). Population standardized rates of intervention were determined by age group and year of treatment. Subsequent rates of serious complications including reoperation for infection, growth disturbance (osteotomy, epiphysiodesis), revision reconstruction, and/or contralateral ACL reconstruction rates were determined.

Results

Over the 20 year period, 16,125 ACL reconstructions were included. The mean age of patients was 16.9 years (SD 2.0; 27.1% female, n = 4,374/16,125). The majority of procedures were observed in the 15 to 19 years age group. The rate of ACL reconstruction increased 29-fold from 1997 to 1998, to 2016 to 2017. Within 90 days of ACL reconstruction, the rate of reoperation for infection was 0.31% (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.23 to 0.41, n = 50/16,125) and the rate of pulmonary embolism was 0.037% (95%.CI 0.014 to 0.081, n = 6/16,125). Of those with minimum five-year follow-up following ACL reconstruction (n = 7,585), 1.00% of patients subsequently underwent an osteotomy (95% CI 0.79 to 1.25, n = 76/7,585), 0.09% an epiphysiodesis (95% CI 0.04 to 0.19, n = 7/7,585), 7.46% revision ACL reconstruction (95% CI 6.88 to 8.08, n = 566/7,585), and 6.37% contralateral ACL reconstruction (95% CI 5.83 to 6.94, n = 483/7,585).

Conclusion

Rates of paediatric and adolescent ACL reconstruction have increased 29-fold over the last 20 years. Despite the increasing rate in the younger population, the risk of serious complications, including further surgery for growth disturbance is very low. The results of our study provide a point of reference for shared decision making in the management of ACL injury in the paediatric and adolescent population. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(2):239–245.

Pediatric ACL Reconstruction and Return to the Operating Room: Revision Is Less Than Half of the Story

BACKGROUND

Although there are several causes of unplanned return to the operating room (RTOR) following pediatric anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR), prior outcomes studies focus primarily on the risk of graft failure. We sought to comprehensively describe indications for RTOR in pediatric primary ACLR patients, estimate associated rates of RTOR, and assess the impact of concomitant meniscal procedures on these rates.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study considered patients who underwent primary ACLR at an urban, pediatric tertiary care hospital between 2013 and 2015. Cohorts were defined based on the presence or absence of a concomitant surgical meniscal procedure with the index ACLR. The primary outcome was RTOR for an indication pertaining to ACLR or a potential predilection for knee injury. Cases of RTOR were cataloged and classified according to indication. Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier estimation and competing-risks regression. Comparisons of any-cause RTOR rates were done using log-rank tests.

RESULTS

After exclusion criteria were applied, 419 subjects were analyzed. RTOR indications were organized into 5 categories. The overall rate for any RTOR by 3 years after surgery was 16.5%. Graft failure and contralateral ACL tear were the most common indications for RTOR, with predicted rates of 10.3% and 7.1%, respectively. ACL graft failure accounted for less than half of RTOR cases cataloged. Patients who had a concomitant meniscus procedure had lower rates of RTOR.

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately 1 in 6 pediatric ACLR patients underwent ≥1 repeat surgery within 3 postoperative years for indications ranging from wound breakdown to contralateral ACL rupture. While previous studies revealed high rates of complication after pediatric ACLR due primarily to graft failure, we found that re-tear is responsible for less than half of the 3-year RTOR risk. As almost half of re-tears in our sample occurred before clearance to return to full activities, we suspect that the high rate of complication is largely attributable to pediatric patients' high activity levels and difficulties adhering to postoperative restrictions. Early treatment of meniscus pathology may reduce rates of RTOR.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III-therapeutic.

Pediatric Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reruptures Are Related to Lower Functional Scores at the Time of Return to Activity: A Prospective, Midterm Follow-up Study

Background:

Skeletally immature patients show a higher rate of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reruptures. A better understanding of the risk factors for an ACL rerupture in this population is critical.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The objective of this study was to analyze preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative characteristics of pediatric patients undergoing ACL reconstruction and determine the relationship of these factors with an ACL rerupture. It was hypothesized that patients with worse activity scores and knee function at the time of return to activity would have a higher rate of ACL reruptures at midterm follow-up. Additionally, it was hypothesized that most ACL reruptures would occur before age 20 years in the study population.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A total of 65 skeletally immature patients (age <16 years) with ACL ruptures underwent reconstruction with a quadruple hamstring tendon graft between 2002 and 2016. Of these patients, 52 were available for the study. Patient characteristics, surgical details, Tegner and Lysholm scores, and ACL reconstruction outcomes were recorded. Patients were analyzed and compared according to ACL rerupture occurrence.

Results:

Of the 52 patients, 18 (34.6%) experienced an ACL rerupture after reconstruction. The majority of reruptures (77.8%) occurred before age 20 years. There were 2 patients who sustained ACL reruptures during the rehabilitation period before they returned to activity. The majority of reruptures occurred after 12 months (83.2%), with 66.6% occurring after 24 months. Upon returning to activity between 6 and 9 months postoperatively, patients who ended up with intact ACL grafts reported 69% higher mean Tegner scores (P = .006) and 64% higher mean Lysholm scores than patients who sustained ACL reruptures (P < .001). Within the limits of this study, we could identify no statistical relationship between the rate of ACL reruptures and different sport types, surgical techniques, or associated injuries (P > .05).

Conclusion:

Skeletally immature patients who underwent ACL reconstruction and sustained ACL reruptures had lower Tegner and Lysholm scores upon returning to activity than patients without ACL reruptures. In addition, most ACL reruptures occurred in patients younger than 20 years (77.8%) and after 24 months postoperatively (66.6%).

Confirming the Presence of Unrecognized Meniscal Injuries on Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Pediatric and Adolescent Patients With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears

BACKGROUND

Prior research has shown decreased accuracy of meniscal injury detection using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-deficient adult patients as well as ACL-deficient pediatric and adolescent patients. The objectives of this study were the following: (1) assess the diagnostic ability of MRI in detecting meniscal injuries for pediatric and adolescent patients undergoing arthroscopic ACL reconstruction and (2) characterize the unrecognized meniscal injuries.

METHODS

The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of meniscal tears (medial, lateral, or both) on MRI were calculated for the 107 patients in this cohort. Fisher exact tests were used to compare event frequencies between medial meniscal (MM) and lateral meniscal (LM) tears. One-way analysis of variance tests were performed to compare event rates between the location and type of unrecognized meniscal tears.

RESULTS

The median age of the cohort was 15 (range: 7 to 18). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of MRI in detecting meniscal tears (medial, lateral, or both) in ACL-deficient pediatric and adolescent patients was 62.3%, 68.4%, 78.2%, and 50.0%, respectively. There were 26 (24.3%) cases in which a meniscal injury was not detected on MRI, but was discovered arthroscopically (MM: 5 knees, LM: 20 knees, both: 1 knee). These unrecognized meniscal injuries were more commonly the LM than the MM (77.8%, P-value=0.100), a vertical/longitudinal tear type (77.8%, P-value <0.001), and located in the posterior horn (74.1%, P-value <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In this ACL-deficient pediatric and adolescent cohort, there were 26 (24.3%) patients with unrecognized meniscal injuries. A vertical tear in the posterior horn was the most commonly unrecognized meniscal injury, supporting the findings of prior research postulating that the location and configuration of a tear influence the accuracy of MRI in detecting these injuries. More research is needed to investigate strategies to improve the detection of meniscal tears in pediatric and adolescent patients preoperatively. These findings have implications with regard to patient counseling, operative planning, anticipatory guidance with regard to postoperative rehabilitation, recovery expectations, and surgical outcomes.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV.

Transphyseal Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in the Skeletally Immature: Quadriceps Tendon Autograft Versus Hamstring Tendon Autograft

Background:

It is unclear what the optimal graft choice is for performing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in a skeletally immature patient.

Purpose:

To evaluate outcomes and complications of skeletally immature patients undergoing transphyseal ACL reconstruction with a hamstring tendon autograft versus a quadriceps tendon autograft.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Between 2012 and 2016, 90 skeletally immature patients from a single institution underwent primary transphyseal ACL reconstruction with either a quadriceps tendon autograft or a hamstring tendon autograft based on surgeon preference (n = 3). Patient demographic, injury, radiographic, and surgical variables were documented. Outcome measures included the Lysholm score, Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE), Tegner activity score, pain, satisfaction, and complications such as graft tears and physeal abnormalities.

Results:

A total of 83 patients (56 hamstring tendon, 27 quadriceps tendon) were available for a minimum follow-up of 2 years or sustained graft failure. The mean age of the patients was 14.8 ± 1.4 years at the time of ACL reconstruction. No differences in chronological age, bone age, sex, patient size, or mechanism of injury were noted between groups. There were no differences in surgical variables, except that the quadriceps tendon grafts were larger than the hamstring tendon grafts (9.6 ± 0.6 mm vs 7.8 ± 0.7 mm, respectively; P < .001). Patient outcomes at a mean follow-up of 2.8 ± 0.9 years revealed no differences based on graft type, with mean Lysholm, SANE, pain, satisfaction, and Tegner scores of 96, 93, 0.6, 9.6, and 6.6, respectively, for the quadriceps tendon group and 94, 89, 0.9, 9.2, and 7.1, respectively, for the hamstring tendon group. While there were no physeal complications in either group, patients undergoing ACL reconstruction with a hamstring tendon autograft were more likely to tear their graft (21% vs 4%, respectively; P = .037).

Conclusion:

Skeletally immature patients undergoing ACL reconstruction can be successfully managed with either a quadriceps tendon autograft or a hamstring tendon autograft with good short-term outcomes, high rates of return to sport, and low rates of physeal abnormalities. The primary differences between grafts were that the quadriceps tendon grafts were larger and were associated with a lower retear rate. ACL reconstruction performed with a quadriceps tendon autograft may reduce early graft failure in skeletally immature patients.

What is the best treatment for a child with an acute tear of the anterior cruciate ligament?

With the heightened popularity of childhood sporting activity, the number of paediatric anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures has increased. Management of these injuries presents a particular challenge due to the open femoral and tibial growth plates. Physeal damage has the potential to cause angular deformity or length discrepancy. This review was conducted to determine the best way to treat this injury. A primary search of Ovid MEDLINE (1 October 2017) used the terms: (ACL or anterior cruciate ligament) and (young or child or children or pediatric or immature or pre-pubescent). Titles/Abstracts of 369 articles were screened for relevance. A total of 217 were excluded, leaving 152 articles for full-paper retrieval. Of these, 9 articles remained with one further article identified during cross-referencing; 10 papers (1 level 2 and 9 level 3) were included for analysis. Comparative studies investigating surgical (140 knees) versus conservative (110 knees) treatment provide evidence in favour of the former, in reducing instability and meniscal tears and improving return to previous activity. Of the papers analysed (163 reconstructions), there was only one case of growth arrest (0.6%) and no cases of length discrepancy. In those studies investigating early (218 patients) versus delayed (140 patients) reconstruction, medial meniscal tears and chondral injuries occurred more frequently in the delayed group. To conclude, for children, there is level 2/3 evidence that early operative ACL reconstruction offers the best chance of a return to pre-injury sporting activity and minimises the risks of further structural damage. Iatrogenic growth disturbance remains a rare but worrying complication.

Over 90 % of children and adolescents return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

To evaluate the rate at which children and adolescent athletes return to sporting activities after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.

METHODS

Three databases, PubMed, MEDLINE, and EMBASE, were searched from database inception until September 9, 2017 by two reviewers independently and in duplicate. The inclusion criteria were English language studies that reported return to sport outcomes. Book chapters, conference papers, review articles, and technical reports were excluded. The rate of return to sports was combined in a meta-analysis of proportions using a random-effects model.

RESULTS

Overall, 20 studies with a combined total of 1156 ACL reconstructions met the inclusion criteria, with a mean age of 14.3 years (range 6-19) and a mean follow-up time of 6.5 years (range 1-22). All studies were level IV evidence (14 retrospective case series and 6 prospective case series). The pooled rate of return to any sport participation was 92.0% [95% confidence interval (CI), 86-96%]. The pooled rate of return to pre-injury level of sport was 78.6% (95% CI 71-86%) and that to competitive level of sport was 81.0% (95% CI 62-94%). A total of 93 of the 717 assessed athletes (13%) sustained re-injuries with graft ruptures, and in 91 of 652 patients (14%), contralateral ACL injuries were reported on final follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Pooled results suggest a high rate of return to sport following ACL reconstruction in children and adolescent athletes; however, this is associated with a relatively high rate of graft rupture and a similar rate of contralateral ACL injury. This study provides clinicians with evidence-based data on the ability of children and adolescent athletes to return to sport after ACL reconstruction, an important consideration for athletes of this population with ACL injuries.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV, systematic review of level IV studies.

Challenges in the Management of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Ruptures in Skeletally Immature Patients

Although initially considered rare, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures in pediatric patients recently have increased substantially as a result of greater awareness of the injury and increased participation in youth sports. Although pediatric patients with an ACL injury and a clinically stable joint may handle the injury well and return to sports activity without requiring surgical reconstruction, young, active patients with an ACL rupture and an unstable joint may be good candidates for ACL reconstruction to prevent ongoing instability and additional joint damage. ACL reconstruction techniques have been developed to prevent physeal injury in skeletally immature patients. The surgical treatment of skeletally immature patients with an ACL rupture may differ from that of adults with an ACL rupture and presents unique challenges with regard to reconstruction technique selection, graft preparation, rehabilitation, and return to sports activity. Orthopaedic surgeons should understand various physeal-sparing ACL reconstruction techniques and the general challenges associated with the surgical management of ACL ruptures in pediatric patients.

"I never made it to the pros…" Return to sport and becoming an elite athlete after pediatric and adolescent anterior cruciate ligament injury-Current evidence and future directions

The management of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in the skeletally immature and adolescent patient remains an area of controversy in sports medicine. This study, therefore, summarizes and discusses the current evidence related to treating pediatric and adolescent patients who sustain an ACL injury. The current literature identifies a trend towards ACL reconstruction as the preferred treatment option for ACL injuries in the young, largely justified by the risk of further structural damage to the knee joint. Worryingly, a second ACL injury is all too common in the younger population, where almost one in every three to four young patients who sustain an ACL injury and return to high-risk pivoting sport will go on to sustain another ACL injury. The clinical experience of these patients emphasizes the rarity of an athlete who makes it to elite level after a pediatric or adolescent ACL injury, with or without reconstruction. If these patients are unable to make it to an elite level of sport, treatment should possibly be modified to take account of the risks associated with returning to pivoting and strenuous sport. The surveillance of young athletes may be beneficial when it comes to reducing injuries. Further research is crucial to better understand specific risk factors in the young and to establish independent structures to allow for unbiased decision-making for a safe return to sport after ACL injury. Level of evidence V.