2017 ISAKOS Biennial Congress ePoster #1131

 

Correlation Of Cartilage Lesions To Abnormal Rotational Kinematics In Males After Acl Reconstruction In A Long Follow Up.

Dimitrios S. Mastrokalos, MD, PhD, Athens GREECE
Frantzeska Zambeli, MD, PhD, Athens GREECE
Georgios Velonakis, MD, PhD, Athens GREECE
Ioannis Roubelakis, MD, Athens GREECE
Georgios Papagiannis, MD, Athens GREECE
L Poulou, MD, Athens GREECE
Panayiotis Papagelopoulos, MD, PhD, FRACS, Athens GREECE

1st Orthopedic Department of the University of Athens, General University Hospital ATTIKO, Athens, GREECE

FDA Status Not Applicable

Summary

ARTICULAR CARTILAGE LESIONS 8 YEARS AFTER ACL RECONSTRUCTION WITH SINGLE BAND CORRELATE TO ABNORMAL ROTATIONAL KINEMATICS.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to examine the long term effect of single bundle (SB) anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) on articular cartilage, and to test if any correlation exists between rotational kinematics and articular cartilage pathology at the long term.

Methods

Twenty patients, all males, that underwent SBACLR and did not have any cartilage lesion nor meniscal injury that required meniscectomy >20% at the time of ACLR were retrospectively studied at mean follow up 8 years postoperatively. Cartilage lesions on MRI were graded according to a modified Noyes scale (mNS) (TABLE 1). For cartilage evaluation the lateral and medial femoral condyles were divided into 9 segments each (lateral, central, and medial third and each third was divided into anterior, central, and posterior segment). The maximum and mean mNS were calculated and patients were categorized according to max mNS into groups I and II (TABLE 2). With 3D optoelectronic motion analysis system tibial rotation (TR) for the ACL-reconstructed (ACL-R) and contralateral intact knees during a pivoting task were recorded and side-to-side difference (SSD) of TR (SSD-TR) was calculated. Unpaired t-tests and Pearson correlation coefficient (r) were used for statistical analysis (statistical significance level p<0.05).

Results

Ten patients formed group I and ten patients group II (TABLE 2). SSD-TR of group I was significantly increased as compared to group II (mean SSD-TR (SD) 6.8° (6.6°) vs 0.2° (2.8°) respectively, p=0.03). A significant positive correlation was observed between SSD-TR and mean mNS for the whole study group of 20 patients (r=0.550, p=0.034).

Conclusions

Abnormally increased tibial rotation that persists after ACL reconstruction significantly correlates to articular cartilage lesions 8 years after ACLR. These findings suggest that abnormal rotational kinematics may have an effect at the pathogenesis and the onset of articular cartilage degeneration after ACLR.