Editorial Commentary: Anatomic or Not, the Tunnel Will Get Wider!

Beneficial Effect of Curved Dilator System for Femoral Tunnel Creation in Preventing Femoral Tunnel Widening after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Backgrounds and objectives: A prevalent concern in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is postoperative tunnel widening. We hypothesized that employing a curved dilator system (CDS) for femoral tunnel creation can reduce this widening after ACL reconstruction compared to the use of a conventional rigid reamer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted involving 56 patients who underwent primary ACL reconstruction between January 2012 and July 2013. The patients were categorized into two groups: the reamer group (n = 28) and CDS group (n = 28). All participants were followed up for a minimum of 2 years. Clinical assessment included the Lachman test and pivot-shift test, and the Lysholm score and subjective International Knee Documentation Committee scores. Radiographic evaluation covered the tunnel widening rate, represented as the ratio of the tunnel diameter 2 years after surgery to the tunnel diameter immediately after surgery, and the ratio (A/B) of femoral tunnel (A) to tibial tunnel (B) diameters at respective time points. Results: No significant disparities were found between the two groups in terms of clinical outcomes. However, the reamer group exhibited a greater femoral tunnel widening rate compared to the CDS group (reamer group vs. CDS group: 142.7 ± 22.0% vs. 128.0 ± 19.0% on the anteroposterior (AP) radiograph and 140.8 ± 14.2% vs. 122.9 ± 13.4% on the lateral radiograph; all p < 0.05). Two years post-operation, the A/B ratio rose in the reamer group (0.96 ± 0.05→1.00 ± 0.05 on the AP radiograph and 0.94 ± 0.03→1.00 ± 0.0.04 on the lateral radiograph; all p < 0.05), while it decreased in the CDS group (0.99 ± 0.02→0.96 ± 0.05 on the AP radiograph and 0.97 ± 0.03→0.93 ± 0.06 on the lateral radiograph; all p < 0.05). Conclusion: The use of CDS for femoral tunnel creation in primary ACL reconstruction provides a potential advantage by limiting tunnel widening compared to the conventional rigid-reamer approach.

Medical Journals Should Be a Forum for Disruptive Research

Disruptive innovation completely changes the traditional way that we operate and may only be realized in retrospect. For example, shoulder superior capsule reconstruction (SCR) is a complete change from the traditional methods of treating massive, irreparable rotator cuff tears and pseudoparalysis. Classic examples of disruptions in orthopaedic surgery include distraction osteogenesis, total hip joint replacement arthroplasty, and modern orthopaedic trauma care. Orthopaedic technologies that promise future disruption include artificial intelligence, surgical simulation, and orthopaedic biologics, including mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) and gene therapy. Most of all, arthroscopic surgery completely changed the way we operate by using new methods and technology. Many never saw it coming. The challenge going forward is to motivate and foster new ideas and research that result in innovation and progress. Skepticism has a place, but not at the expense of transformative ideas, particularly as medical journals offer the alternative of prospective hypothesis testing using the scientific method, followed by unbiased peer review, and publication. Medical journals should be a forum for disruptive research.