Clinics in sports medicine
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A high-velocity knee dislocation is a true orthopedic emergency. A high index of suspicion is necessary to identify reduced knee dislocations in multiple trauma patients. Coexisting injuries are common in patients with high-velocity knee dislocations. ⋯ Early surgery to improve the functional stability of the knee must be balanced against the risk of major surgery in patients with severe lower extremity and systemic injuries. The long-term risk of knee stiffness versus instability must be considered. Selective, subacute, aggressive collateral ligament repair and bicruciate reconstruction with allografts offer the best chance for optimal outcome.
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Knee dislocations and related knee trauma represent dramatic orthopedic injuries. The severity and spectrum of injury may not be immediately evident to the clinician. ⋯ In anticipation of ligament repair and reconstruction, a preoperative MR imaging study supplemented by an examination under anesthesia allows for an accurate assessment of the pattern and severity of ligament injury. With this knowledge the surgeon is able to prepare properly for surgery and create appropriately placed surgical incisions to afford adequate exposure of all injured structures.
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Complications associated with arthroscopic shoulder stabilization are relatively common. Excluding recurrence, complications are rarely disabling. Current statistics undoubtedly underestimate the true incidence of complications. ⋯ While cautiously proceeding toward a more complete understanding of the instability continuum, surgeons must maintain a high index of suspicion for new techniques that purport to "solve" the problem of arthroscopic shoulder stabilization, lest the history of enthusiastic but ultimately unsubstantiated claims is repeated. Outcomes must withstand the rigors of scientific scrutiny and the test of time. Without this cautious vigilance, the appeal of today's solutions becomes the fodder of tomorrow's articles about the complications of arthroscopic shoulder stabilization.
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Meniscal repair is an important technique for the orthopaedic surgeon. As familiarity, equipment, and techniques improve, the interest in expanding the indications for application of meniscal repair also increases toward improving patient outcomes and long-term function. An overview of the indications, techniques, complications, and future direction of meniscal repair is presented in this article.
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Experience with fresh osteochondral allografting for cartilage defects in the knee now extends two decades. Clinical outcomes and basic scientific investigations have supported the theoretic basis for this procedure. At the University of California, San Diego, our experience has encouraged us to continue to offer this procedure as a primary treatment for both large and small articular cartilage defects in the young knee. ⋯ Disadvantages of fresh osteochondral allografting include the relative paucity of donor tissue, complexities in procurement and handling, and the possibility of disease transmission through the transplantation of fresh tissue. At present, only institutions that have overcome these obstacles seem capable of routinely performing this type of articular cartilage transplantation. In the future, as tissue banking and cartilage storage technology advance, fresh allograft tissue may become more available, allowing more widespread use of fresh osteochondral allografting in the treatment of articular cartilage lesions.