Septic arthritis after arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is a rare complication. In the literature, several different managements have been proposed.

A total of 1232 ACL reconstruction procedures were performed from January 2001 and December 2008. Twelve patients (0.97%) had a post-operative infection. The average age at trauma was 24 years (range:16–43). Treatment included continuous irrigation of the knee (4 hour/day for 2 days) and parenteral and oral antibiotics subsequently for a mean of 7 weeks (range:4–12 weeks). The average time at follow-up was 38 months (range 6–54 months). Follow-up included International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) forms, radiographs, the Tegner and Lysholm scores and KT-1000 arthrometric evaluation.

In all cases treatment of infection was successful. In no cases graft or hardware removal was needed. At final examination pivot shift was negative in 10/12 patients and 1+ in 2/12 patients. In all cases the Lachman was negative. The mean postoperative Tegner score was 7.2 (range 5–9), the mean Lysholm score was 98.3 (range 69–100). 10/12 patients were graded as Group A and 2/12 patients as group B using the IKDC. The mean postoperative manual maximum KT-1000 side to side difference was 2.3 (range1–4), with 10 patients between 0 and 3 mm and 2 between 3 and 5 mm. No significative bone tunnel enlargement was found.

The described treatment gives reliable results. There were no recurrences of septic arthritis or bone infection. No further surgeries were required. The graft can be retained during treatment of septic arthritis after ACL reconstruction.

The KT1000 is widely accepted as a tool for the instrumented measurement of the anteroposterior tibial translation. The aim of this study is to compare the data obtained with the KT1000 in ACL deficient knees with the data obtained using a navigation system during “in vivo” ACL reconstruction procedures and to validate the accuracy of the KT1000.

An ACL reconstruction was performed using computer aided surgical navigation (Orthopilot, B-Braun, A esculap, Tuttlingen, Germany) in thirty patients. Antero-posterior laxity measurements were obtained for all patients using KT1000 arthrometer (in a conscious state and under general anesthesia) and during surgery using the navigation system, always at 30° of knee flexion.

The mean AP translation was 14±4 mm and 15,6±3,8 using the KT1000 in conscious and under general anesthesia respectively (p=0.02) and 16,1±3,7 mm using navigation. Measurements with the KT1000 under general anesthesia were not different to those obtained “in vivo” with the navigation system (p=0,37).

In conclusion this study validates the accuracy of the KT1000 to exactly calculate AP translation of the tibia, in comparison with the more accurate measurements obtained using a navigation system.

Cadeveric studies showed that single bundle ACL reconstructions were successful in limiting anterior tibial translation but were insufficient to control a combined rotatory load of internal and valgus torque. One possible cause of these condition could be that current single bundle procedures cannot realistically reproduce the complex anatomy of the ACL, especially the different function of its anteromedial(AM)and posterolateral(PL)bundle. The hypothesis of our study is that the addition of the PL bundle to the AM bundle, in an “in vivo” double bundle computer assisted ACL reconstruction, is actually able to reduce the internal rotation of the tibia at 30° degrees of knee flexion. Computer assisted ACL reconstruction has been used because it could be very effective in evaluating the global performance of the reconstructed knee.

Ten consecutive doble bundle ACL reconstructions were performed in our Hospital using hamstrings graft and the 2.0OrthoPilot-B. Braun-Aesculap ACLnavigation system. The average age of patients was 27.8 years.

The double-looped semitendinosus tendon replicating the AM bundle was fixed first at 60° of knee flexion. Than the gracilis tendon replicating the PL bundle was fixed at 15° of knee flexion. Maximum manual A–P displacement at 30° of flexion, maximum internal and external rotation of the knee were evaluated using the navigation system before surgery and after single(A–M)and double (AM+PL)bundle reconstruction. Statystical anlisys was done using paired T-test.

Before ACL reconstruction mean manual maximum AP displacement was 17.2mm;mean manual maximum internal rotation was 19.8mm and mean manual maximum external rotation was 16.8mm. After AM bundle reconstruction mean manual maximum AP displacement was 6.1mm;mean manual maximum internal rotation was 17.0mm and mean manual maximum external rotation was 16.3mm. After AM+PL bundles reconstruction mean manual maximum AP displacement was 5.3mm;mean manual maximum internal rotation was 16.2mm and mean manual maximum external rotation was 14.6mm. There was no statistically significant difference in the tibial internal rotation at 30° after single bundle(AM)and double bundle(AM+PL)reconstruction.

In this study the effectiveness of the PL bundle in controlling the internal rotation of the tibia, responsible of rotational instability of the knee, was evaluated in “in vivo” ACL reconstruction. The navigator system allowed us to obtain “in vivo” the real and correct value of AP displacement and internal and external rotation of the tibia before and after reconstruction.

Our hypothesis that the addition of the PL bundle to the AM bundle is actually able to reduce the internal rotation of the tibia at 30° degrees of knee flexion, minimizing the pivot shift phenomenon, on the basis of our study has not been confirmed.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relative contribution of each component in the ultimate strength and stiffness of the Evolgate (Citieffe), which is presently a widely used fixation device in DGST ACL reconstruction. The three components of the Evolgate were tested using fresh frozen animal tissue stored at −20° Celsius. Common extensor tendons were harvested from 20-month-old bovine forelimbs. Twenty-four tests were performed for each of the following configurations: six tests using Evolgate complete, six tests using screw alone, six tests using screw and washer and six tests using screw and coil. A randomised t-test was used; differences were considered significant when p< 0.05. The mean strength was: Evolgate complete 1314±194N; coil and screw 700±152N; screw alone 408±86N; and screw and washer 333±93N. There was a significant difference between fixation strength of Evolgate and the other devices, none between screw alone and screw and washer. The mean slippage of the Evolgate was significantly lower than the other devices. The mean stiffness of the Evolgate (269±14 N/mm) was significantly greater than the other devices. On the basis of the results of the present study, the coil appears to be the most important component of the Evolgate, resulting in a significant increase of the fixation strength of the screw. However, it is important to note that, as the washer alone does not improve the strength of the screw, if a washer is associated with a coil a further significant increase in strength and stiffness of the device is observed.

The purpose of this study is to biomechanically evaluate how four different fixation devices (two femoral and two tibial) associated in three different combinations, using cyclic loading with final pull-out test, affect the strength and the stiffness of the femur-graft-tibia complex.

We conducted a controlled laboratory study and tested, using cyclic loading with final pull-out, two femoral devices (Swing- bridge and Endobutton CL) and two tibial device (Evolgate and BioRCI screw) in three different combinations: Group A, EB-Bio RCI; Group B, EB-Evolgate; and Group C, SB- Evolgate.

We used porcine knees and bovine digital extensor tendons and evaluated the stiffness and strength at the final pull-out, and the displacement at the 1st, 100th, 300th, 500th and 1000th cycle.

A t-test was used for statistical evaluation.

There was a statistically significant difference in ultimate failure load between group A and group B (p=0.03) and group A and group C (p=0.0007) but no difference between group B and group C (p=0.72). There was a statistically significant difference in ultimate failure load between group A and group C (p=0.02) and group B and group C (p=0.01) but no difference between group A and group B (p=0.88).

Due to the biomechanical properties of the F-G-T complex the combination of Swing-Bridge and Evolgate seems to be a good alternative when an accelerated post-operative rehabilitation is planned after ACL reconstruction using DGST.

The purpose of our study was to determine the effect of 4 weeks and 12 weeks of implantation on the strength of a tendon graft in a bone tunnel using a low-profile fixation device, Evolgate, in an extra-articular ovine model. Moreover, we evaluated the histological changes.

The common digital extensor tendon was detached from the lateral femoral condyle and fixed with the Evolgate device in a 30-mm-long tunnel placed obliquely across the dense metaphyseal bone of the proximal tibia. We performed either biomechanical or histological study. Three sheep were sacrified at time 0 and their posterior limbs were used for biomechanical tests. Six sheep were used for biomechanical tests at time 1 (4 weeks) and at time 2 (12 weeks). The other three sheep were used for histological evaluation after 4 and 12 weeks of implantation. The biomechanical tests included a 50 N preload applied for 10 s and a cyclic load test in 50-N increments until failure to evaluate the ultimate failure load. We used a paired t-test to evaluate the difference between group at T1 and group at T2 with the control group at time 0, respectively. Tests were performed using an electromechanic machine (Zwick-Roell Z010, Zwick-Roell, Ulm, Germany). Data were recorded with dedicated software (Textexpert 8.1, Zwick-Roell).

The biomechanical results show an improvement of about 50% in strength after 4 and 12 weeks post-implantation, respectively. The histological evaluation shows a layer of cellular, fibrous tissue between the tendon and the bone, along the length of the bone tunnel; this layer progressively matured and reorganised during the healing process. The collagen fibres that attached the tendon to the bone resembled Sharpey fibres.

The strength of the interface was noted to have significantly and progressively increased between the second and the 12th week after the transplantation. The progressive increase in strength was correlated with the degree of bone ingrowth, mineralisation, and maturation of the healing tissue, noted histologically.

The purpose of this study is to biomechanically compare Evolgate and Intrafix using cyclic loading with final pull-out tests. Five pairs of double looped bovine digital extensor tendons and 10 porcine tibias were used. We evaluated the displacement at 1, 10, 100, 250, 500, 1000 and 1500 cycles. We used cyclic tests (1500 cycles between 50 and 200 N with final pull-out). Biomechanical tests were performed with use of a Zwick-Roell Z010 mechanical testing machine (Zwick-Roell, Germany), and the testing data were recorded with the accompanying software package (Testexpert 8.1, Zwick-Roell). A paired t-test was performed for statistical evaluation. There was no statistically significant difference in slippage between the two devices. The mean ultimate failure load at pull-out after 1500 cycles was 832±156 N for Intrafix and 1058±130 N for the Evolgate.The mean stiffness at pull-out was 269±86 for Intrafix and 247±44 for the Evolgate, and there were no statistically significant differences (p> 0.05). At statistical evaluation there was a difference in ultimate failure load between the IF and the EV (p< 0.05). Although further studies are needed to investigate bone growth into the tibia tunnel, Evolgate seems to be a good choice for tibial fixation of hamstring tendons. Moreover, Evolgate has higher values of strength than Intrafix.

Secure tendon-to-bone fixation is essential for successful rotator cuff repair. Thus, the biomechanical properties of devices used in rotator cuff repair should be better understood. This controlled laboratory study was performed to evaluate response to incremental cyclic loading of six different anchor-wire complexes commonly used in rotator cuff repair.

Two absorbable anchors 5 and 6.5 mm in diameter and one metallic anchor, coupled with both ethibond or fibrewire (FW) were tested on five pairs of fresh-frozen human cadaveric shoulders. An incremental cyclic load was applied until failure using a Zwich-Roell Z010 electromechanical testing machine. The ultimate failure load and mode of failure were recorded. A t-test was used for statistical analysis.

The FW suture coupled both with absorbable and metallic anchors provides a statistically significant stronger fixation. However, while the metallic anchors in most cases fail due to the slippage of the anchor, absorbable anchors fail due to rupture of the loop. The FW seems to increase the strength of fixation devices under cyclic load both using absorbable or metallic anchors with relevant differences in failure mode (slippage of the metallic anchor and loop failure in absorbable ones). Using a FW suture, the risk of metallic anchor migration might increase.