Short-term recovery of physical activity and knee function after an acute knee injury

ObjectivesTo describe self-reported knee function, participation in physical activity and the number of knee surgeries at 3 and 6 months following acute knee injury.MethodsProspective cohort study. Participants, aged 15–40 years with an acute knee injury sustained no more than 6 weeks prior to inclusion, were recruited. There were 279 participants with ACL injury and 101 participants with other acute knee injuries included. Follow-up questionnaires were sent at 3 and 6 months after injury. Demographic information, activity participation, International Knee Documentation Committee subjective knee form (IKDC-SKF) and the Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) score were collected. Additional knee injuries were obtained from self-report and medical charts.ResultsThe IKDC-SKF, SANE and physical activity participation were reduced at 3-month and 6-month follow-up. The number of participants who achieved health-promoting physical activity levels was reduced by 50% at 6-month follow-up compared with before injury. Seventeen per cent of participants with ACL injury and 41% of participants with other acute knee injuries had returned to their preinjury physical activity at 6 months. Participants with ACL injury reported worse knee function, lower physical activity participation and had more surgeries (128 surgeries, including 109 ACL-reconstructions) compared with participants with other acute knee injuries (six surgeries).ConclusionAcute knee injuries, including ACL injuries, affected self-reported knee function and physical activity participation for at least 6 months after index injury. More research is needed to understand how best to help people with acute knee injuries return to physical activity and achieve satisfactory knee function.

Anatomical Risk Factors for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Are Not Important As Patellar Instability Risk Factors in Patients with Acute Knee Injury

To compare in magnetic resonance imaging the anatomical risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and patellar dislocation among patients who suffered acute knee injury, 105 patients with acute knee injury resulting in 38 patellar dislocations (patella group), 35 ACL injuries (ACL group), and 32 meniscus or medial collateral ligament injuries (control group) were included. These groups were compared for risk factors for patellar dislocation (patellar height, trochlear dysplasia, and quadriceps angle of action) and for ACL injury (intercondylar width, posterior inclination of tibial plateaus, and depth of the medial plateau). Univariate analysis found statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between the patella and ACL groups in patellar height (Caton-Deschamps [CD] 1.23 vs. 1.07), trochlear facet asymmetry (55 vs. 68%), PTTG (13.08 vs. 8.01 mm), and the patellar tip and trochlear groove (PTTG) angle (29.5 vs. 13.71 degrees). The patella group also differed from control in medial plateau inclination (4.8 vs. 1.87 degrees), patellar height (CD 1.23 vs 1.08), trochlear facet asymmetry (55 vs. 69%), lateral trochlear inclination (17.11 vs. 20.65 degrees), trochlear depth (4.1 vs. 6.05 mm), PTTG (13.08 vs. 9.85 mm), and the PTTG angle (29.5 vs. 17.88 degrees). The ACL and control groups were similar in all measures. Multivariate analysis found the following significant determinants between the Patella and Control groups: patellar height (CD index, odds ratio [OR]: 80.13, p = 0.015), trochlear anatomy (asymmetry of facets M/L, OR: 1.06, p = 0.031) and quadriceps action angle (PTTG angle, OR: 1.09, p = 0.016); between the ACL and control groups: PTTG angle (OR: 0.936, p = 0.04) and female gender (OR: 3.876, p = 0.032); and between the patella and ACL groups, the CD index (OR: 67.62, p = 0.026), asymmetry of the M/L facets (OR: 1.07, p = 0.011) and PTTG angle (OR: 1.16, p < 0.001). In conclusion, in patients with acute knee injury, the anatomical factors patellar height, trochlear dysplasia, and quadriceps angle of action were related to the occurrence of patellar dislocation. None of the anatomical factors studied was related to the occurrence of anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Painful Palpation of the Tibial Insertion of the Anterolateral Ligament Is Concordant With Acute Anterolateral Ligament Injury

Background: The anterolateral ligament (ALL) has been shown to contribute to the rotational stability of the knee. However, no clinical sign specific to ALL injury has been described. Purpose/Hypothesis: The primary aim of this study was to determine the concordance between pain elicited upon ALL palpation and ALL injury diagnosed by ultrasonography (US). The secondary aim was to look for a relationship between ALL injury and high-grade pivot shift. We hypothesized that an ALL lesion can be diagnosed clinically in an acute knee injury by palpating its tibial insertion. Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2. Methods: A total of 130 patients (89 men, 41 women; mean age, 27.2 ± 8.3 years) with an acute, isolated anterior cruciate ligament injury who were scheduled for ligament reconstruction were enrolled in this study. ALL palpation was carried out a mean 8.8 ± 3.2 days after injury. Preoperatively, ALL integrity was evaluated with US, and the pivot shift was determined under general anesthesia. The agreement between pain upon ALL palpation and ALL injury detected on US was determined by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), along with 95% CIs. Results: Distal palpation of the ALL tibial insertion elicited pain in 67 (51.5%) patients, and upon US the ALL was found to be damaged in 64 (49.2%) patients. The agreement between pain over the ALL tibial insertion and the ALL being damaged on US was excellent (ICC, 0.801; 95% CI, 0.730-0.855). Moreover, the clinical test had excellent sensitivity (92%; 95% CI, 88%-97%) and specificity (88%; 95% CI, 82%-93%). The agreement between pain at the ALL distal insertion and the pivot shift was good (ICC, 0.654; 95% CI, 0.543-0.742), and ALL palpation had excellent diagnostic accuracy for identifying rotational instability (sensitivity, 88% [95% CI, 82%-93%]; specificity, 97% [95% CI, 94%-100%]). Conclusion: Palpation of the ALL tibial insertion highly correlates with ultrasonographic evidence of an ALL injury in the context of an acute knee injury. This simple test should become part of our standard examination when evaluating patients with acute knee injuries.