Aims. The aim of this study was to compare patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) following isolated anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), with those following ACLR and concomitant meniscal resection or repair. Methods. We reviewed prospectively collected data from the UK National Ligament Registry for patients who underwent primary ACLR between January 2013 and December 2022. Patients were categorized into five groups: isolated ACLR, ACLR with medial meniscus (MM) repair, ACLR with MM resection, ACLR with lateral meniscus (LM) repair, and ACLR with LM resection. Linear regression analysis, with isolated ACLR as the reference, was performed after adjusting for confounders. Results. From 14,895 ACLR patients, 4,400 had two- or five-year Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores (KOOS) available. At two years postoperatively, the MM repair group demonstrated inferior scores in KOOS pain (β = −3.63, p < 0.001), symptoms (β = − 4.88, p < 0.001), ADL (β = − 2.43, p = 0.002), sport and recreation (β = − 5.23, p < 0.001), quality of life (QoL) (β = − 5.73, p < 0.001), and International Knee Documentation Committee (β = − 4.1, p < 0.001) compared with the isolated ACLR group. The LM repair group was associated with worse KOOS sports and recreation scores at two years (β = − 4.264, p < 0.001). At five years, PROMs were comparable between the groups. At five years, PROMs were comparable between the groups. Participants undergoing ACLR surgery within 12 weeks from index injury demonstrated superior PROMs at two and five years. Conclusion. Our study showed that MM repair, and to a lesser extent LM repairs in combination with ACLR, were associated with inferior patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) compared to isolated ACLR at two years postoperatively, while meniscal resection groups exhibited comparable outcomes. However, by five years postoperation, no significant differences in PROMs were evident. Further longer-term, cross-sectional studies are warranted to investigate the outcomes of ACLR and concomitant meniscal surgery

We describe injuries to the posterior root of the medial meniscus in patients with spontaneous osteonecrosis of the medial compartment of the knee. We identified 30 consecutive patients with spontaneous osteonecrosis of the medial femoral condyle. The radiographs and MR imaging were reviewed. We found tears of the posterior root of the medial meniscus in 24 patients (80%). Of these, 15 were complete and nine were partial. Complete tears were associated with > 3 mm of meniscal extrusion. Neither the presence of a root tear nor the volume of the osteonecrotic lesion were associated with age, body mass index (BMI), gender, side affected, or knee alignment. The grade of osteoarthritis was associated with BMI. Although tears of the posterior root of the medial meniscus were frequently present in patients with spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee, this does not prove cause and effect. Further study is warranted

We present the first study in vivo of meniscal movement in normal knees under load. Using an open MR scanner, allowing imaging in physiological positions in near to real-time, 16 young footballers were scanned moving from full extension to 90° flexion in the sagittal and coronal planes. Excursion of the meniscal horns, radial displacement and meniscal height were measured. On weight-bearing, the anterior horn of the medial meniscus moves through a mean of 7.1 mm and the posterior horn through 3.9 mm, with 3.6 mm of mediolateral radial displacement. The height of the anterior horn increases by 2.6 mm and that of the posterior horn by 2.0 mm. The anterior horn of the lateral meniscus moves 9.5 mm and the posterior horn 5.6 mm, with 3.7 mm of radial displacement. The height of the anterior horn increases by 4.0 mm, and that of the posterior horn by 2.4 mm. In non-weight-bearing, the anterior horn of the medial meniscus moves 5.4 mm and the posterior horn 3.8 mm, with 3.3 mm of radial displacement. The anterior horn of the lateral meniscus moves 6.3 mm, and the posterior horn 4.0 mm, with 3.4 mm of radial displacement. The most significant differences between weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing were the movement and vertical height of the anterior horn of the lateral meniscus

We compared extrusion of the allograft after medial and lateral meniscal allograft transplantation and examined the correlation between the extent of extrusion and the clinical outcome. A total of 73 lateral and 26 medial meniscus allografts were evaluated by MRI at a mean of 32 months (24 to 59) in 99 patients (67 men, 32 women) with a mean age of 35 years (21 to 52). The absolute values and the proportional widths of extruded menisci as a percentage were measured in coronal images that showed maximum extrusion. Functional assessments were performed using Lysholm scores. The mean extrusion was 4.7 mm (1.8 to 7.7) for lateral menisci and 2.9 mm (1.2 to 6.5) for medial menisci (p < 0.001), and the mean percentage extrusions were 52.0% (23.8% to 81.8%) and 31.2% (11.6% to 63.4%), respectively (p < 0.001). Mean Lysholm scores increased significantly from 49.0 (10 to 83) pre-operatively to 86.6 (33 to 99) at final follow-up for lateral menisci (p = 0.001) and from 50.9 (15 to 88) to 88.3 (32 to 100) for medial menisci (p < 0.001). The final mean Lysholm scores were similar in the two groups (p = 0.312). Furthermore, Lysholm scores were not found to be correlated with degree of extrusion (p = 0.242). Thus, transplanted lateral menisci extrude more significantly than transplanted medial menisci. However, the clinical outcome after meniscal transplantation was not found to be adversely affected by extrusion of the allograft

Aims

As has been shown in larger animal models, knee immobilization can lead to arthrofibrotic phenotypes. Our study included 168 C57BL/6J female mice, with 24 serving as controls, and 144 undergoing a knee procedure to induce a contracture without osteoarthritis (OA).

Aims

The purpose of this study is to determine an individual’s age-specific prevalence of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) after cruciate ligament surgery, and to identify clinical and genetic risk factors associated with undergoing TKA.

Aims

The antidiabetic agent metformin inhibits fibrosis in various organs. This study aims to elucidate the effects of hyperglycaemia and metformin on knee joint capsule fibrosis in mice.

We describe a prospective survival analysis of 63 consecutive meniscal allografts transplanted into 57 patients. The lateral meniscus was transplanted in 34, the medial meniscus in 17, and both menisci (combined) in the same knee in six. For survival analysis we used persistent pain or mechanical damage as clinical criteria of failure. A total of 13 allografts failed (5 lateral, 7 medial, 1 medial and lateral). A significant negative correlation (p = 0.003) was found between rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and successful meniscal transplantation. A significant difference (p = 0.004) in the clinical results was found between lateral and medial meniscal transplants. The cumulative survival rate of the lateral, medial and combined allografts in the same knee, based on the life-table method and the Kaplan-Meier calculation, was 76%, 50% and 67%, respectively. The survival of medial meniscal allografts may improve when reconstruction of the ACL is carried out at the same time as meniscal transplantation in an ACL-deficient knee

Aims

Meniscal injuries are common and often induce knee pain requiring surgical intervention. To develop effective strategies for meniscus regeneration, we hypothesized that a minced meniscus embedded in an atelocollagen gel, a firm gel-like material, may enhance meniscus regeneration through cell migration and proliferation in the gel. Hence, the objective of this study was to investigate cell migration and proliferation in atelocollagen gels seeded with autologous meniscus fragments in vitro and examine the therapeutic potential of this combination in an in vivo rabbit model of massive meniscus defect.

Aims

Unicompartmental and total knee arthroplasty (UKA and TKA) are successful treatments for osteoarthritis, but the solid metal implants disrupt the natural distribution of stress and strain which can lead to bone loss over time. This generates problems if the implant needs to be revised. This study investigates whether titanium lattice UKA and TKA implants can maintain natural load transfer in the proximal tibia.

Aims

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture commonly leads to post-traumatic osteoarthritis, regardless of surgical reconstruction. This study uses standing MRI to investigate changes in contact area, contact centroid location, and tibiofemoral alignment between ACL-injured knees and healthy controls, to examine the effect of ACL reconstruction on these parameters.

Aims

MRI has been suggested as an objective method of assessing anterior crucate ligament (ACL) graft “ligamentization” after reconstruction. It has been proposed that the MRI appearances could be used as an indicator of graft maturity and used as part of a return-to-sport assessment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between MRI graft signal and postoperative functional scores, anterior knee laxity, and patient age at operation.

Aims

To compare time dependent functional improvement for patients with medial, respectively lateral knee osteoarthritis (OA) after treatment with opening wedge osteotomy relieving the pressure on the osteoarthritic part of the knee.

Aims

Commonly performed unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is not designed for the lateral compartment. Additionally, the anatomical medial and lateral tibial plateaus have asymmetrical geometries, with a slightly dished medial plateau and a convex lateral plateau. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the native knee kinematics with respect to the tibial insert design corresponding to the lateral femoral component.

Aim

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have several properties that may support their use as an early treatment option for osteoarthritis (OA). This study investigated the role of multiple injections of allogeneic bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs) to alleviate the progression of osteoarthritic changes in the various structures of the mature rabbit knee in an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-deficient OA model.

Objectives

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is an alternative to total knee arthroplasty for patients who require treatment of single-compartment osteoarthritis, especially for young patients. To satisfy this requirement, new patient-specific prosthetic designs have been introduced. The patient-specific UKA is designed on the basis of data from preoperative medical images. In general, knee implant design with increased conformity has been developed to provide lower contact stress and reduced wear on the tibial insert compared with flat knee designs. The different tibiofemoral conformity may provide designers the opportunity to address both wear and kinematic design goals simultaneously. The aim of this study was to evaluate wear prediction with respect to tibiofemoral conformity design in patient-specific UKA under gait loading conditions by using a previously validated computational wear method.

Aims

The aims of this study were to determine the effect of osteophyte excision on deformity correction and soft tissue gap balance in varus knees undergoing computer-assisted total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Objectives

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is an alternative to total knee arthroplasty with isolated medial or lateral compartment osteoarthritis. However, polyethylene wear can significantly reduce the lifespan of UKA. Different bearing designs and materials for UKA have been developed to change the rate of polyethylene wear. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the effect of insert conformity and material on the predicted wear in mobile-bearing UKA using a previously developed computational wear method.

Aims

To investigate the risk factors for progression of articular cartilage damage after anatomical anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is commonly performed and has been for many years. Despite this, the technical details related to ACL anatomy, such as tunnel placement, are still a topic for debate. In this paper, we introduce the flat ribbon concept of the anatomy of the ACL, and its relevance to clinical practice.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B:1020–6.

The role of arthroscopy in the treatment of soft-tissue injuries associated with proximal tibial fractures remains debatable. Our hypothesis was that MRI over-diagnoses clinically relevant associated soft-tissue injuries. This prospective study involved 50 consecutive patients who underwent surgical treatment for a split-depression fracture of the lateral tibial condyle (AO/OTA type B3.1). The mean age of patients was 50 years (23 to 86) and 27 (54%) were female. All patients had MRI and arthroscopy. Arthroscopy identified 12 tears of the lateral meniscus, including eight bucket-handle tears that were sutured and four that were resected, as well as six tears of the medial meniscus, of which five were resected. Lateral meniscal injuries were diagnosed on MRI in four of 12 patients, yielding an overall sensitivity of 33% (95% confidence interval (CI) 11 to 65). Specificity was 76% (95% CI 59 to 88), with nine tears diagnosed among 38 menisci that did not contain a tear. MRI identified medial meniscal injuries in four of six patients, yielding an overall sensitivity of 67% (95% CI 24 to 94). Specificity was 66% (95% CI 50 to 79), with 15 tears diagnosed in 44 menisci that did not contain tears.

MRI appears to offer only a marginal benefit as the specificity and sensitivity for diagnosing meniscal injuries are poor in patients with a fracture. There were fewer arthroscopically-confirmed associated lesions than reported previously in MRI studies.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:1631–6.

While injury to the posterolateral corner is accepted as a relatively common occurrence associated with rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, posteromedial meniscocapsular injury has not previously been recognised as such. In a prospective assessment of 183 consecutive reconstructions of the anterior cruciate ligament this injury was observed in 17 cases, giving it an incidence of 9.3%. Clinically, it was associated with a mild anteromedial rotatory subluxation and it is important not to confuse this with posterolateral rotatory subluxation. In no case was this injury identified by MRI. The possible long-term clinical relevance is discussed.

Objectives

Throughout the 20th Century, it has been postulated that the knee moves on the basis of a four-bar link mechanism composed of the cruciate ligaments, the femur and the tibia. As a consequence, the femur has been thought to roll back with flexion, and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) prostheses have been designed on this basis. Recent work, however, has proposed that at a position of between 0° and 120° the medial femoral condyle does not move anteroposteriorly whereas the lateral femoral condyle tends, but is not obliged, to roll back – a combination of movements which equates to tibial internal/ femoral external rotation with flexion. The aim of this paper was to assess if the articular geometry of the GMK Sphere TKA could recreate the natural knee movements in situ/in vivo.

We reviewed 5086 patients with a mean age of 30 years (9 to 69) undergoing primary reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in order to determine the incidence of secondary pathology with respect to the time between injury and reconstruction. There was an increasing incidence of medial meniscal tears and chondral damage, but not lateral meniscal tears, with increasing intervals before surgery. The chances of requiring medial meniscal surgery was increased by a factor of two if ACL reconstruction was delayed more than five months, and increased by a factor of six if surgery was delayed by > 12 months. The effect of delaying surgery on medial meniscal injury was also pronounced in the patients aged < 17 years, where a delay of five to 12 months doubled the odds of medial meniscal surgery (odds ratio (OR) 2.0, p = 0.001) and a delay of > 12 months quadrupled the odds (OR 4.3, p = 0.001). Increasing age was associated with a greater odds of chondral damage (OR 4.6, p = 0.001) and medial meniscal injury (OR 2.9, p = 0.001), but not lateral meniscal injury. The gender split (3251 men, 1835 women) revealed that males had a greater incidence of both lateral (34% (n = 1114) vs 20% (n = 364), p = 0.001) and medial meniscal tears (28% (n = 924) vs 25% (n = 457), p = 0.006), but not chondral damage (35% (n = 1152) vs 36% (n = 665), p = 0.565). We conclude that ideally, and particularly in younger patients, ACL reconstruction should not be delayed more than five months from injury.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:59–64.

The outcome of arthroscopic medial release of 255 knees in 173 patients for varying grades of osteoarthritis involving the medial compartment is reported. All operations were performed by a single surgeon between January 2001 and May 2003. The Knee Society score for pain and the patient’s subjective satisfaction were used for the outcome evaluation. Overall, satisfactory outcome was reported for 197 knees (77.3%) and the mean Knee Society score for pain improved from 17.6 (95% confidence interval, 16.7 to 18.5), pre-operatively to 39.4 (95% confidence interval, 37.9 to 41.1) (p < 0.001). There were minor manageable complications of persistent effusion in 16 knees and prolonged wound discomfort in 11. In total, 15 of the 21 knees with poor results were converted to total knee replacements and two other patients (three knees) were offered this option after a mean period of 16 months.

Based on these observations arthroscopic medial release is an effective treatment for osteoarthritis of the medial compartment of the knee joint and can be expected to reduce the pain in the majority of patients for at least four years post-operatively.

The aim of this study was to compare the maximum laxity conferred by the cruciate-retaining (CR) and posterior-stabilised (PS) Triathlon single-radius total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for anterior drawer, varus–valgus opening and rotation in eight cadaver knees through a defined arc of flexion (0º to 110º). The null hypothesis was that the limits of laxity of CR- and PS-TKAs are not significantly different.

The investigation was undertaken in eight loaded cadaver knees undergoing subjective stress testing using a measurement rig. Firstly the native knee was tested prior to preparation for CR-TKA and subsequently for PS-TKA implantation. Surgical navigation was used to track maximal displacements/rotations at 0º, 30º, 60º, 90º and 110° of flexion. Mixed-effects modelling was used to define the behaviour of the TKAs.

The laxity measured for the CR- and PS-TKAs revealed no statistically significant differences over the studied flexion arc for the two versions of TKA. Compared with the native knee both TKAs exhibited slightly increased anterior drawer and decreased varus-valgus and internal-external roational laxities. We believe further study is required to define the clinical states for which the additional constraint offered by a PS-TKA implant may be beneficial.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015; 97-B:642–8.

We reviewed a single-surgeon series of 300 athletic patients who had undergone reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament in order to establish the relationship between the timing of the reconstruction and the incidence of meniscal and chondral pathology. The patients were divided into five groups according to the time from their injury to surgery as follows: less than two months, two to six months, six to 12 months, 12 to 18 months and more than 18 months. The presence of meniscal tears was recorded and chondral pathology was scored according to the system of the French Society of Arthroscopy.

There was a significantly higher chance of a medial meniscal tear occurring in patients undergoing reconstruction after one year from their injury (odds ratio (7.99, p = 0.004). The odds of having a lateral meniscal tear did not change significantly with an increasing interval to reconstruction. The chance of patients developing degenerative changes was found to be significantly higher in the groups operated on after six months from injury (odds ratio 4.04, p = 0.005).

We advocate that patients with deficiency of the anterior cruciate ligament should be counselled that there is a significant relationship between the duration of the instability of their knee and the subsequent incidence of both chondral changes and meniscal tears. In order to minimise these risks, we recommend that reconstruction be performed within the first year from injury.

The Oxford unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR) is an established treatment option in the management of symptomatic end-stage medial compartmental osteoarthritis (MCOA), which works well in the young and active patient. However, previous studies have shown that it is reliable only in the presence of a functionally intact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). This review reports the outcomes, at a mean of five years and a maximum of ten years, of 52 consecutive patients with a mean age of 51 years (36 to 57) who underwent staged or simultaneous ACL reconstruction and Oxford UKR. At the last follow-up (with one patient lost to follow-up), the mean Oxford knee score was 41 (sd 6.3; 17 to 48). Two patients required conversion to TKR: one for progression of lateral compartment osteoarthritis and one for infection. Implant survival at five years was 93% (95% CI 83 to 100). All but one patient reported being satisfied with the procedure. The outcome was not significantly influenced by age, gender, femoral or tibial tunnel placement, or whether the procedure was undertaken at one- or two-stages.

In summary, ACL reconstruction and Oxford UKR gives good results in patients with end-stage MCOA secondary to ACL deficiency.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term functional and radiological outcomes of arthroscopic removal of unstable osteochondral lesions with subchondral drilling in the lateral femoral condyle. We reviewed the outcome of 23 patients (28 knees) with stage III or IV osteochondritis dissecans lesions of the lateral femoral condyle at a mean follow-up of 14 years (10 to 19). The functional clinical outcomes were assessed using the Lysholm score, which improved from a mean of 38.1 (sd 3.5) pre-operatively to a mean of 87.3 (sd 5.4) at the most recent review (p = 0.034), and the Tegner activity score, which improved from a pre-operative median of 2 (0 to 3) to a median of 5 (3 to 7) at final follow-up (p = 0.021). The radiological degenerative changes were evaluated according to Tapper and Hoover’s classification and when compared with the pre-operative findings, one knee had grade 1, 22 knees had grade 2 and five knees had grade 3 degenerative changes. The overall outcomes were assessed using Hughston’s rating scale, where 19 knees were rated as good, four as fair and five as poor.

We found radiological evidence of degenerative changes in the third or fourth decade of life at a mean of 14 years after arthroscopic excision of the loose body and subchondral drilling for an unstable osteochondral lesion of the lateral femoral condyle. Clinical and functional results were more satisfactory.

The lateral compartment is predominantly affected in approximately 10% of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. The anatomy, kinematics and loading during movement differ considerably between medial and lateral compartments of the knee. This in the main explains the relative protection of the lateral compartment compared with the medial compartment in the development of osteoarthritis. The aetiology of lateral compartment osteoarthritis can be idiopathic, usually affecting the femur, or secondary to trauma commonly affecting the tibia. Surgical management of lateral compartment osteoarthritis can include osteotomy, unicompartmental knee replacement and total knee replacement. This review discusses the biomechanics, pathogenesis and development of lateral compartment osteoarthritis and its management.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:436–44.

The purpose of this study was to report the outcome of ‘isolated’ anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures treated with anatomical endoscopic reconstruction using hamstring tendon autograft at a mean of 15 years (14.25 to 16.9). A total of 100 consecutive men and 100 consecutive women with ‘isolated’ ACL rupture underwent four-strand hamstring tendon reconstruction with anteromedial portal femoral tunnel drilling and interference screw fixation by a single surgeon. Details were recorded pre-operatively and at one, two, seven and 15 years post-operatively. Outcomes included clinical examination, subjective and objective scoring systems, and radiological assessment. At 15 years only eight of 118 patients (7%) had moderate or severe osteo-arthritic changes (International Knee Documentation Committee Grades C and D), and 79 of 152 patients (52%) still performed very strenuous activities. Overall graft survival at 15 years was 83% (1.1% failure per year). Patients aged < 18 years at the time of surgery and patients with > 2 mm of laxity at one year had a threefold increase in the risk of suffering a rupture of the graft (p = 0.002 and p = 0.001, respectively). There was no increase in laxity of the graft over time.

ACL reconstructive surgery in patients with an ‘isolated’ rupture using this technique shows good results 15 years post-operatively with respect to ligamentous stability, objective and subjective outcomes, and does not appear to cause osteoarthritis.

From a search of MRI reports on knees, 20 patients were identified with evidence of early anteromedial osteoarthritis without any erosion of bone and a control group of patients had an acute rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament. The angle formed between the extension and flexion facets of the tibia, which is known as the extension facet angle, was measured on a sagittal image at the middle of the medial femoral condyle.

The mean extension facet angle in the control group was 14° (3° to 25°) and was unrelated to age (Spearman’s rank coefficient, p = 0.30, r = 0.13). The mean extension facet angle in individuals with MRI evidence of early anteromedial osteoarthritis was 19° (13° to 26°, SD 4°). This difference was significant (Mann-Whitney U test, p < 0.001).

A wide variation in the extension facet angle was found in the normal control knees and an association between an increased extension facet angle and MRI evidence of early anteromedial osteoarthritis. Although a causal link has not been demonstrated, we postulate that a steeper extension facet angle might increase the duration of loading on the extension facet during the stance phase of gait, and that this might initiate failure of the articular cartilage.

The Unispacer knee system is a cobalt-chrome self-centring tibial hemiarthroplasty device for use in the treatment of isolated medial compartment osteoarthritis of the knee. The indications for use are similar to those for high tibial osteotomy, but insertion does not require bone cuts or component fixation, and does not compromise future knee replacement surgery. A prospective study of a consecutive series of 18 patients treated with the Unispacer between June 2003 and August 2004 was carried out to determine the early clinical results of this device. The mean age of the patients was 49 years (40 to 57). A total of eight patients (44%) required revision within two years. In two patients revision to a larger spacer was required, and in six conversion to either a unicompartmental or total knee replacement was needed. At the most recent review 12 patients (66.7%) had a Unispacer remaining in situ. The mean modified visual analogue score for these patients at a mean follow-up of 19 months (12 to 26) was 3.0 (0 to 11.5). The mean pain level was 30% that of the mean pre-operative level of 10. The early clinical results using this device have been disappointing.

This study demonstrates that use of the Unispacer in isolated medial compartment osteoarthritis is associated with a high rate of revision surgery and provides unpredictable relief of pain.

The potential harm to the growth plate following reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament in skeletally-immature patients is well documented, but we are not aware of literature on the subject of the fate of the graft itself. We have reviewed five adolescent males who underwent reconstruction of the ligament with four-strand hamstring grafts using MR images taken at a mean of 34.6 months (18 to 58) from the time of operation. The changes in dimension of the graft were measured and compared with those taken at the original operation. No growth arrest was seen on radiological or clinical measurement of leg-length discrepancy, nor was there any soft-tissue contracture. All the patients regained their pre-injury level of activity, including elite-level sport in three. The patients grew by a mean of 17.3 cm (14 to 24). The diameter of the grafts did not change despite large increases in length (mean 42%; 33% to 57%). Most of the gain in length was on the femoral side. Large changes in the length of the grafts were seen.

There is a considerable increase in the size of the graft, so some neogenesis must occur; the graft must grow.

The records of patients aged 50 years or over who underwent primary reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament between 1990 and 2002 were reviewed. There were 35 knees in 34 patients that met the inclusion criteria. The mean age of the patients was 57 years (50 to 66) and the mean clinical follow-up was for 72 months (25 to 173). A total of 23 knees were reconstructed with patellar tendon allograft, and 12 with patellar tendon autograft. The mean pre-operative knee extension was 1° (−5° to 10°) and flexion was 129° (125° to 150°) and at follow-up these values were 0° (−5° to 5°) and 135° (120° to 150°), respectively. Pre-operatively there were 31 knees (89%) with a Lachman grade 2+ or 3+. Post-operatively, 33 knees (94%) were Lachman grade 0 or 1+. The mean pre- and post-operative International Knee Documentation Committee scores were 39 (23 to 72) and 90 (33 to 100) respectively. The mean pre- and post-operative Lysholm scores were 50 (18 to 68) and 92 (28 to 100) respectively and the mean University of California Los Angeles activity scores were 8.5 before injury (4 to 10), 4.3 (3 to 6) after injury and 8.3 (4 to 10) post-operatively. There were three graft failures (8.6%) requiring revision.

We conclude that reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament in carefully-selected patients aged 50 years or over can achieve similar results to those in younger patients, with no increased risk of complications.

We describe 119 meniscal allograft transplantations performed concurrently with articular cartilage repair in 115 patients with severe articular cartilage damage. In all, 53 (46.1%) of the patients were over the age of 50 at the time of surgery. The mean follow-up was for 5.8 years (2 months to 12.3 years), with 25 procedures (20.1%) failing at a mean of 4.6 years (2 months to 10.4 years). Of these, 18 progressed to knee replacement at a mean of 5.1 years (1.3 to 10.4). The Kaplan-Meier estimated mean survival time for the whole series was 9.9 years (sd 0.4). Cox’s proportional hazards model was used to assess the effect of covariates on survival, with age at the time of surgery (p = 0.026) and number of previous operations (p = 0.006) found to be significant.

The survival of the transplant was not affected by gender, the severity of cartilage damage, axial alignment, the degree of narrowing of the joint space or medial versus lateral allograft transplantation. Patients experienced significant improvements at all periods of follow-up in subjective outcome measures of pain, activity and function (all p-values < 0.05), with the exception of the seven-year Tegner index score (p = 0.076).

We report the mid-term results of a new patellofemoral arthroplasty for established isolated patellofemoral arthritis. We have reviewed the experience of 109 consecutive patellofemoral resurfacing arthroplasties in 85 patients who were followed up for at least five years.

The five-year survival rate, with revision as the endpoint, was 95.8% (95% confidence interval 91.8% to 99.8%). There were no cases of loosening of the prosthesis. At five years the median Bristol pain score improved from 15 of 40 points (interquartile range 5 to 20) pre-operatively, to 35 (interquartile range 20 to 40), the median Melbourne score from 10 of 30 points (interquartile range 6 to 15) to 25 (interquartile range 20 to 29), and the median Oxford score from 18 of 48 points (interquartile range 13 to 24) to 39 (interquartile range 24 to 45). Successful results, judged on a Bristol pain score of at least 20 at five years, occurred in 80% (66) of knees. The main complication was radiological progression of arthritis, which occurred in 25 patients (28%) and emphasises the importance of the careful selection of patients. These results give increased confidence in the use of patellofemoral arthroplasty.

We sought to determine whether smoking affected the outcome of reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament. We analysed the results of 66 smokers (group 1 with a mean follow-up of 5.67 years (1.1 to 12.7)) and 238 non-smokers (group 2 with a mean follow-up of 6.61 years (1.2 to 11.5)), who were statistically similar in age, gender, graft type, fixation and associated meniscal and chondral pathology. The assessment was performed using the International Knee Documentation Committee form and serial cruciometer readings.

Poor outcomes were reported in group 1 for the mean subjective International Knee Documentation Committee score (p < 0.001), the frequency (p = 0.005) and intensity (p = 0.005) of pain, a side-to-side difference in knee laxity (p = 0.001) and the use of a four-strand hamstring graft (p = 0.015). Patients in group 1 were also less likely to return to their original level of pre-injury sport (p = 0.003) and had an overall worse final 7 International Knee Documentation Committee grade score (p = 0.007).

Despite the well-known negative effects of smoking on tissue healing, the association with an inferior outcome after reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament has not previously been described and should be included in the pre-operative counselling of patients undergoing the procedure.

This prospective study used magnetic resonance imaging to record sagittal plane tibiofemoral kinematics before and after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using autologous hamstring graft. Twenty patients with anterior cruciate ligament injuries, performed a closed-chain leg-press while relaxed and against a 150 N load. The tibiofemoral contact patterns between 0° to 90° of knee flexion were recorded by magnetic resonance scans. All measurements were performed pre-operatively and repeated at 12 weeks and two years.

Following reconstruction there was a mean passive anterior laxity of 2.1 mm (sd 2.3), as measured using a KT 1000 arthrometer, and the mean Cincinnati score was 90 (sd 11) of 100. Pre-operatively, the medial and lateral contact patterns of the injured knees were located posteriorly on the tibial plateau compared with the healthy contralateral knees (p = 0.014), but were no longer different at 12 weeks (p = 0.117) or two years postoperatively (p = 0.909). However, both reconstructed and healthy contralateral knees showed altered kinematics over time. At two years, the contact pattern showed less posterior translation of the lateral femoral condyle during flexion (p < 0.01).