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III.

IV.

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IV.

upture of the anterior cruciate ligament is a common injury (incidence: 68.6 per 100 000 patient years) that mostly affects young, physically active patients and can lead to chronic instability (1). The lateral tibial plateau in particular is prone to anterior subluxation (anteroposterior instability), as the ligament no longer restricts movement and the axis of rotation can shift medially. Isolated injury to the posterior cruciate ligament is rarer (incidence: 1.8 per 100 000 patient years) (2). Chronic anteroposterior instability, which manifests in 8 to 50% of cases after surgical treatment and 75 to 87% after conservative treatment (3-7), is associated with increased risk of posttraumatic osteoarthritis of the knee (prevalence: 24.5 to 51.2%) (8), restricted knee function with reduced activity level (17% of competitive athletes do not return to competitive level) (9), and reduced quality of life (score of 54 to 77 on the KOOS QOL [Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score: Quality of Life] versus 81 to 92 points in the uninjured population) (10). Despite intensive research into anterior cruciate ligament rupture, there is a lack of high-quality studies to determine clear treatment strategies for anterior cruciate ligament-deficient adults. According to the current S1 Guideline of the Association of Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF, Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften), anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with autologous tendon graft is indicated for associated injuries to the collateral ligaments, meniscal injuries suitable for reconstruction, or a marked feeling of instability or subjective loading requirement. It is the first-line treatment for symptomatically unstable patients, in order to restore passive stability of the knee joint. According to meta-analyses and cohort studies, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction can prevent secondary meniscal and cartilage injuries and restore previous activity levels (11-13). Until recently there was only one randomized controlled trial, though this was widely recognized, comparing outcomes following early surgery and following conservative treatment with optional delayed surgery. The findings of this trial indicate that nonsurgical treatment with possible delayed surgery leads to comparable subjective knee function and quality of life (14, 15). On the basis of these findings, coverage Summary Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is a serious injury in patients who are typically young and athletically active, with potential long-term complications including functional limitation, posttraumatic osteo arthritis of the knee, and impaired quality of life. ACL reconstruction is now considered the gold standard of treatment for regaining stability and improving knee function. Conservative treatment is an alternative. Methods: To compare operative and conservative treatment, we reviewed pertinent publications retrieved by a systematic search in Ovid MEDLINE, the Cochrane Database of Systematic...

Screening, identification, and correction of endangering movement patterns like the dynamic valgus are the first crucial steps in order to prevent knee and ACL injuries in athletes. Furthermore, jumping, running and flexibility exercises as well as balance and strength training are proven to reduce the incidence of these injuries and should, therefore, be integrated into the regular warm up program. Appropriate complete prevention programs are freely accessible via the Internet and should be adapted to the specific sport disciplines.

Purpose Extrusion of the medial meniscus evaluated on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been described as indirect radiological sign for meniscus root tears. However, ultrasound detectable dynamic extrusion is observed in normal physiological settings. The aim of the present study was to analyze the dynamic meniscal extrusion using ultrasound (US) examination in patients with MRI-conirmed meniscal root tears. The hypothesis was that dynamic meniscus extrusion is reduced in patients with medial root tear but not in the healthy meniscus. Methods Twenty-ive patients with a medial root lesion of the meniscus (group I) and 25 healthy controls (group II) were enrolled in this study. The medial meniscus extrusion (MME) of the index knee was determined using ultrasound (US) in supine position and under full weight bearing. Standard knee MRI was used for determining whether the patients were eligible for this study according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, respectively. Results In group I, the mean MME was 3.6 mm (± 1.0 mm) in supine position and 3.7 mm (± 0.9 mm) under full weight bearing according to US measurements. The mean Δ-extrusion was 0.1 mm (± 0.2 mm) and the ratio was 1.0 (± 0.1). Mean medial meniscus extrusion on MRI was 3.9 mm (± 0.9 mm). In group II, mean MME was 1.3 mm (± 0.3 mm) in supine position (US) and 2.3 mm (± 0.4 mm) under full weight bearing (US). The mean Δ-extrusion was 1.0 mm (± 0.4 mm) and the extrusion ratio was 1.8 (± 0.4). In this group, mean extrusion in MRI was 1.4 mm (± 0.7 mm). The diference in mean ultrasound Δ-extrusion, ratio, and MRI extrusion between both groups was statistically signiicant (p < 0.001). Conclusions Based on the results of dynamic ultrasound examination of the medial meniscus, medial root tear leads to signiicantly decreased dynamic medial displacement of the meniscus compared to healthy meniscus status. The absence of dynamic meniscus extrusion may be an indicator for medial meniscus root injury and could be detected using ultrasound ("dead meniscus sign"). Level of evidence III.