Biomechanical and clinical studies demonstrate that surgical repair of acute, traumatic meniscal root injuries fully restores the biomechanical features of the menisci, leading to pain relief and functional improvement. The current available surgical techniques for the meniscal root repair (suture anchors and pullout repair) are comparable. Level of evidence IV.

The number of anchors used and the state of the labrum are the most important factors associated with a higher risk of radiographic degenerative changes. Longer follow-up investigations are needed to draw meaningful conclusions.

Purpose To compare two groups of patients who underwent two different arthroscopic procedures for repair of articularsided partial-thickness rotator cuff tears (PTRCTs). Materials this is a comparative prospective study of two methods for repair of partial cuff tears Thirty-two patients underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with a transtendon technique (group 1); 28 underwent arthroscopic full-thickness conversion and repair of the lesion (group 2). ROM measures, clinical findings, MRI features (tendon healing and re-tear), Constant-Murley and ASES scores were assessed pre-and postoperatively and compared. Patients were also asked about return to sport and level of activity. Results At the last appointment, patients of both the groups were significantly improved for clinical findings, ROM measures, imaging features, Constant-Murley and ASES scores than at baseline, without any significant inter-group difference. In group 1, 15 of 20 patients (75 %) who practiced recreational sport activities had returned to sport at the same level as before the onset of symptoms, without any discomfort. In group 2, 12 of 18 patients (67 %) had returned to the same level of sport activity they practiced before symptoms. At the last follow up, MRI showed rotator cuff healing in 31 patients of Group 1 and 27 patients of Group 2 (p=0.83). Conclusions The two procedures are safe, effective, and comparable.

BackgroundMosaicplasty has been associated with good short- to long-term results. Nevertheless, the osteochondral harvesting is restricted to the donor-site area available and it may lead to significant donor-site morbidity.PurposeProvide an overview of donor-site morbidity associated with harvesting of osteochondral plugs from the knee joint in mosaicplasty procedure.MethodsComprehensive search using Pubmed, Cochrane Library, SPORTDiscus and CINAHL databases was carried out through 10th October of 2016. As inclusion criteria, all English-language studies that assessed the knee donor-site morbidity after mosaicplasty were accepted. The outcomes were the description and rate of knee donor-site morbidity, sample’s and cartilage defect’s characterization and mosaicplasty-related features. Correlation between mosaicplasty features and rate of morbidity was performed. The methodological and reporting quality were assessed according to Coleman’s methodology score.ResultsTwenty-one studies were included, comprising a total of 1726 patients, with 1473 and 268 knee and ankle cartilage defects were included. The defect size ranged from 0.85 cm2 to 4.9 cm2 and most commonly 3 or less plugs (averaging 2.9 to 9.4 mm) were used. Donor-site for osteochondral harvesting included margins of the femoral trochlea (condyles), intercondylar notch, patellofemoral joint and upper tibio-fibular joint. Mean donor-site morbidity was 5.9 % and 19.6 % for knee and ankle mosaicplasty procedures, respectively. Concerning knee-to-knee mosaicplasty procedures, the most common donor-site morbidity complaints were patellofemoral disturbances (22 %) and crepitation (31 %), and in knee-to-ankle procedures there was a clear tendency for pain or instability during daily living or sports activities (44 %), followed by patellofemoral disturbances, knee stiffness and persistent pain (13 % each). There was no significant correlation between rate of donor-site morbidity and size of the defect, number and size of the plugs (p > 0.05).ConclusionsOsteochondral harvesting in mosaicplasty often results in considerable donor-site morbidity. The donor-site morbidity for knee-to-ankle (16.9 %) was greater than knee-to-knee (5.9 %) mosaicplasty procedures, without any significant correlation between rate of donor-site morbidity and size of the defect, number and size of the plugs. Lack or imcomplete of donor-site morbidity reporting within the mosaicplasty studies is a concern that should be addressed in future studies.Level of evidenceLevel IV, systematic review of Level I-IV studies.

The ACL remnant has been demonstrated in experimental studies to have a role in improving revascularization, ligamentization and reinnervation of the graft, but these findings are still not supported by clinical findings. A more direct way to assess proprioceptive function after ACL reconstruction and appropriately conducted powered and rigorously prospective randomized double-blind studies comparing the clinical outcomes of excising the remnant to leaving it in situ are necessary.

The aims of this systematic review and meta-analysis were to evaluate the effects of physical exercise on static and dynamic balance in the elderly population, and to analyze the number of falls and fallers. A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed–Medline, Cochrane Central, and Google Scholar to select randomized clinical trials that analyzed the role of exercise on balance and fall rate in patients aged 65 or older. Sixteen articles were included in this review. Applying the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, three studies were determined to be at low risk of bias, nine at unclear risk of bias, and four at high risk of bias. The meta-analysis showed improvements in dynamic balance (p = 0.008), static balance (p = 0.01), participants’ fear of falling (p = 0.10), balance confidence (p = 0.04), quality of life (p = 0.08), and physical performance (p = 0.30) in patients who underwent physical exercise compared to controls. The analysis of the total numbers of falls showed a decreased likelihood of falls in patients who participated in exercise programs (p = 0.0008). Finally, the number of patients who fell at least once was significantly reduced in the intervention group (p = 0.02). Physical exercise is an effective treatment to improve balance and reduce fall rates in the elderly.

Therapeutic case-control study, Level III.

The post-operative rehabilitation protocol remains controversial. We are still far from definitive guidelines for the management of pre- and post-operative stiffness, and prospective double-blinded randomized clinical trials are needed to obtain evidence allowing to establish a reliable and effective management plan for shoulder stiffness.