William R. Mook

BACKGROUND: Traumatic knee dislocations that result in multiple-ligament knee injuries are unusual and are poorly studied. We are not aware of any prospective data regarding their treatment. Both the optimum timing of surgery for repair or reconstruction and the aggressiveness of rehabilitation are debated. The purpose of this systematic review was to compare the outcomes of early, delayed, and staged procedures as well as the subsequent rehabilitation protocols. METHODS: We surveyed the literature and retrieved twenty-four retrospective studies, involving 396 knees, dealing with the surgical treatment of the most severe multiple-ligament knee injuries (those involving both cruciate ligaments and either or both collateral ligaments). Data were extracted, and surgical timing was categorized as acute, chronic, or staged. Early postoperative mobility and immobilization were also compared. RESULTS: We found that acute treatment was associated with residual anterior knee instability when compared with chronic treatment (odds ratio, 2.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.2 to 5.8; p = 0.018). Significantly more patients who were managed acutely were found to have more flexion deficits when compared with those who were managed chronically (odds ratio, 5.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.5 to 17.5; p = 0.004). Staged treatments yielded the highest percentage of excellent and good subjective outcomes (79%; 95% confidence interval, 62.2% to 89.3%). Additional treatment for joint stiffness was significantly more likely in association with acute treatment (17%; 95% confidence interval, 13.0% to 22.4%; p < 0.001) and staged treatment (15%; 95% confidence interval, 7.6% to 28.2%; p = 0.001) when each was compared with chronic treatment (0% [zero of seventy-one]; 95% confidence interval, 0.0% to 5.1%). Early mobility was not associated with increased joint instability in acutely managed patients. Early mobility yielded fewer range-of-motion deficits but did not reduce the rate of follow-up manipulation or arthrolysis. CONCLUSIONS: This review of the available literature suggests that delayed reconstructions of severe multiple-ligament knee injuries could potentially yield equivalent outcomes in terms of stability when compared with acute surgery. However, in the acutely managed patient, early mobility is associated with better outcomes in comparison with immobilization. Acute surgery is highly associated with range-of-motion deficits. Staged procedures may produce better subjective outcomes and a lower number of range-of-motion deficits but are still likely to require additional treatment for joint stiffness. More aggressive rehabilitation may prevent this from occurring in multiple-ligament knee injuries that are treated acutely.

BACKGROUND: Propionibacterium acnes has arisen as the most common microorganism identified at the time of revision shoulder arthroplasty. There is limited evidence to suggest how frequently false-positive cultures occur. The purpose of this prospective controlled study was to evaluate culture growth from specimens obtained during open shoulder surgery. METHODS: Patients undergoing an open deltopectoral approach to the shoulder were prospectively enrolled. Patients with a history of shoulder surgery or any concern for active or previous shoulder infection were excluded. Three pericapsular soft-tissue samples were taken from the shoulder for bacterial culture and were incubated for fourteen days. A sterile sponge was also analyzed in parallel with the tissue cultures. In addition, similar cultures were obtained from patients who had undergone previous shoulder surgery. RESULTS: Overall, 20.5% of surgeries (twenty-four of 117) yielded at least one specimen removed for culture that was positive for bacterial growth, and 13.0% of sterile control specimens (seven of fifty-four) had positive culture growth (p = 0.234). P. acnes represented 83.0% of all positive cultures (thirty-nine of forty-seven) at a median incubation time of fourteen days. Among the subjects who had not undergone previous surgery, 17.1% (fourteen of eighty-two) had at least one positive P. acnes culture. Male sex was univariably associated with a greater likelihood of bacterial growth (p < 0.01), and patients who had not undergone previous surgery and had received two or more preoperative corticosteroid injections had a higher likelihood of bacterial growth (p = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: The clinical importance of positive P. acnes cultures from specimens obtained from open shoulder surgery remains uncertain. Male sex and preoperative corticosteroid injections were associated with a higher likelihood of bacterial growth on culture and are risk factors that merit further investigation. Previously reported incidences of positive P. acnes culture results from specimens from primary and revision shoulder arthroplasty may be overestimated because of a substantial level of culture contamination. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: P. acnes is isolated via culture at a substantial rate from shoulders undergoing a deltopectoral approach. The clinical importance of culture growth by this low-virulence organism still remains uncertain. Further study is necessary to more specifically characterize culture growth by P. acnes as an infection, commensal presence, or contaminant.

➤ The unique bacterial flora of the shoulder present diagnostic and treatment challenges that are distinct from those seen with failed hip and knee arthroplasties.➤ The presentation, diagnosis, and management of suppurative periprosthetic joint infections of the shoulder are similar to those of the hip and the knee.➤ Failed arthroplasties with positive cultures (FAPCs) are poorly performing shoulder reconstructions associated with low-virulence microorganisms that do not evoke a suppurative inflammatory response. Propionibacterium acnes is the predominant bacterium isolated from these cases.➤ With improved surgeon awareness and the addition of longer tissue-culture incubation times, detection of FAPCs has become more common. However, management is hampered by the lack of reliable, timely tests that can determine the presence of less virulent organisms in the preoperative or intraoperative settings.➤ The implications of positive culture results in FAPCs are unclear. Key test characteristics such as the false-positive rate and the prevalence of positive cultures in well-performing shoulders are unknown as there is no useful confirmatory test to validate the culture data and no reliable way to detect the presence of less virulent microorganisms without reoperation.➤ Soft-tissue and osseous deficits are frequently encountered when revising previously infected shoulders. The rate of complications in these scenarios is high, and the outcomes are the least favorable compared with revisions for any other indication.➤ The development of a consensus definition of a periprosthetic shoulder infection is critical to future investigations of these devastating complications.

BACKGROUND: The Latarjet procedure for the treatment of recurrent anterior shoulder instability is highly successful, but reasons for failure are often unclear. Measurements of the "glenoid track" have not previously been evaluated as potential predictors of postoperative stability. HYPOTHESIS: There are clinical and anatomic characteristics, including the glenoid track, that are predictive of outcomes after the Latarjet procedure. STUDY DESIGN: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: Patients who underwent the Latarjet procedure for anterior shoulder instability with glenoid bone loss before October 2012 were assessed for eligibility. Patient-reported subjective data that were prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed included demographic information, patient satisfaction, pain measured on a visual analog scale (VAS), questions regarding instability, Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) scores, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores, Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) scores, and Short Form-12 Physical Component Summary (SF-12 PCS) scores. Anatomic measurements were performed of the coracoid size (surface area and width), width of the conjoined tendon and subscapularis tendon, estimated glenoid defect surface area, Hill-Sachs interval (HSI), and projected postoperative glenoid track engagement. Failure was defined as the necessity for revision stabilization or continued instability (dislocation or subjective subluxation) at a minimum of 2 years postoperatively. RESULTS: A total of 38 shoulders in 38 patients (33 men, 5 women) with a mean age of 26 years (range, 16-43 years) were included. The mean follow-up for 35 of 38 patients (92%) was 3.2 years (range, 2.0-7.9 years); 25 of 38 had undergone prior stabilization surgery, and 6 had workers' compensation claims. All mean subjective outcome scores significantly improved (P < .05), with a high median satisfaction score of 9 of 10. Eight patients had failures because of continued instability. Patients with moderate or higher preoperative pain scores (VAS ≥3) had a negative correlation with postoperative SF-12 PCS scores (ρ = 0.474, P = .022). Patients with outside-and-engaged (Out-E) or "off-track" lesions were 4.0 times more likely to experience postoperative instability (relative risk, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.32-12.2; P = .33). The width of patients' coracoid processes was also directly associated with postoperative stability (P = .014). Moreover, 50% (4/8) of failures demonstrated Out-E glenoid tracks (off-track lesions) versus 16% (4/25) of those without recurrent instability (P = .033). Five of 8 failures were considered as such because of subjective subluxation events, not frank dislocations. Four of the 6 patients with workers' compensation claims had failed results (P = .016). CONCLUSION: Workers' compensation claims were associated with continued instability, and patients with higher preoperative pain levels demonstrated lower SF-12 PCS scores postoperatively. The concept of the glenoid track may be predictive of stability after the Latarjet procedure and may be helpful in surgical decision making regarding the treatment of Hill-Sachs lesions at risk for persistent engagement. Although stability and patient satisfaction are high after the Latarjet procedure, subjective complaints of subluxation may be more common than previously estimated.

BACKGROUND: Irreparable peroneal tendon tears are uncommon and require complex surgical decision making. Intercalary segment allograft reconstruction has been previously described as a treatment option; however, there are no reports of the outcomes of this technique in the literature. We describe our technique and present our results using this method. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted to identify all patients who underwent intercalary allograft reconstruction of the peroneal tendons. Mechanism of injury, concomitant operative procedures, pertinent radiographic findings, pre- and postoperative physical examination, intercalary graft length, medical history, visual analog scale (VAS) score for pain, Short Form-12 (SF-12) physical health survey, Lower Extremity Functional Score (LEFS), and complications were reviewed. RESULTS: Fourteen patients with peroneal tendon ruptures requiring reconstruction were identified. Mean follow-up was 17 months (range, 7-47 months; median, 12 months). The average length of the intercalary segment reconstructed was 10.8 ± 3.8 cm (range, 6-20 cm). The average postoperative VAS score decreased to 1.0 ± 1.4 (P = .0005). No patient had a higher postoperative pain score than preoperative pain score. Average postoperative eversion strength as categorized by the Medical Research Council grading scale improved to 4.8 ± 0.5 (P = .001). The average SF-12 score improved to 48.8 ± 7.8 (P = .02). The average LEFS improved to 86.4. ± 14.9 (P = .00001). Four patients experienced sensory numbness in the sural nerve distribution, and 2 of these were transient. There were no postoperative wound healing complications, infections, tendon reruptures, or reoperations. No allograft associated complications were encountered. All patients returned to their preinjury activity levels. CONCLUSION: Allograft reconstruction of the peroneal tendons can improve strength, decrease pain, and yield satisfactory patient-reported outcomes. It can be performed without incurring the deleterious effects associated with tendon transfer procedures. We believe that allograft reconstruction is a safe and useful alternative in the treatment of irreparable peroneal tendon ruptures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, retrospective case series.