Arthroscopy Techniques

Advances in regional anesthesia techniques for knee surgery have led to drastic improvements in postoperative pain control and have reduced reliance on perioperative opioid analgesics. The infiltration between the popliteal artery and capsule of the knee (IPACK) block has been a useful tool for providing posterior knee analgesia as an adjuvant to traditional femoral or adductor canal blocks in knee surgery. We present a simple and reproducible technique for the arthroscopic administration of this block.

Reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) is a common procedure for treatment of recurrent patellofemoral instability. Over the last two decades, multiple surgical techniques for MPFL reconstruction have been described with no clear consensus on a superior reconstruction technique. Appropriate graft tensioning is one of the most important factors for a successful MPFL reconstruction. Overtensioning of the MPFL graft can lead to patellofemoral joint overload and undertensioning can lead to recurrent instability...

Posterior instability, although an uncommon shoulder pathology, is reported most frequently in the athletic population. Arthroscopic repair has emerged as the main surgical treatment modality for posterior instability. However, when compared with arthroscopic repair for anterior instability, the results of this procedure remain suboptimal. The creation of iatrogenic defects in the capsule, due to cannula placement, is a possible culprit. Because these defects typically do not heal satisfactorily, they become stress risers within the capsule itself, which may lead to recurrent instability or an otherwise compromised repair construct...

Rupture of pectoralis major tendon (PMT) is an uncommon injury, but its incidence has been increasing in the past 2 decades. Although open repair of the torn tendon is the preferred choice of treatment in acute and chronic cases, this often is not possible for chronic retracted tendon injuries. While several techniques have been described for PMT reconstruction, these allografts and autografts are often smaller and less thick than the native PMT. In this study, we describe the use of the Achilles tendon allograft with unicortical suture buttons for the reconstruction of a chronic and retracted PMT...

Bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) autograft is a popular graft choice for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) in active young adults. In case of BPTB ACLR failure, the 3 most popular autograft choices for a revision surgery include contralateral BPTB, contralateral or ipsilateral hamstrings autograft, and contralateral or ipsilateral quadriceps tendon autograft. Quadriceps tendon autograft has been gaining increasing popularity in recent years in this respect, but using quadriceps tendon-bone autograft in the setup of a previous use of ipsilateral BPTB autograft deserves special technical considerations, with emphasis on preserving patellar bone integrity...

The most frequent operation for anterior shoulder instability is the arthroscopic Bankart repair, which has a positive outcome and a low rate of complications. A variety of restoration procedures have been reported to reconstruct labral height and reproduce a dynamic concavity-compression reaction. The longitude-latitude loop is a knotless high-strength suture method that simultaneously tightens the joint capsule in the warp and weft direction and resists tearing. The suture method is safe and reproducible...

Suture anchors are frequently used in shoulder arthroscopy. After suture anchors are inserted into bone, the suture transfer between portals should be performed carefully. Sometimes, as a result of the transfer of the wrong suture limb, the suture anchor may be unloaded. The suture dyeing technique provides secure suture retrieval between portals.

Avascular necrosis of the femoral head with femoroacetabular impingement is a disabling disease. Without early treatment and intervention, its further development will even lead to hip osteoarthritis and hip dysfunction. This technical note aims to introduce a computer-assisted precise core decompression of the femoral head, followed by injection of platelet-rich plasma and bone marrow aspirate concentrate. Then, the autologous ipsilateral iliac bone is transplanted to the core decompression area. Thereafter, under hip arthroscopy, the injured glenoid lip of the hip joint is repaired, and the cam deformity of the femoral head/neck junction is polished and formed...

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are one of the most frequent injuries in growing children, and they are often associated with other injuries such as meniscal and chondral injuries. In the past, treatment of ACL tears in growing patients relied on activity modification and bracing. However, surgical treatment has prevailed over conservative treatment in recent years. A surgical technique is presented for ACL reconstruction using an "over-the-top" technique associated with a lateral extra-articular tenodesis procedure in children...

Symptomatic myofascial herniations of the extremities occur infrequently; however, they can contribute to significant pain, weakness, and neuropathy with activity. Muscle herniation typically occurs through either a traumatic or congenital focal defect in the deep overlying fascia. Patients may present with an intermittently palpable subcutaneous mass and may have neuropathic symptoms, depending on the degree of nerve involvement. Patients are initially treated with conservative modalities, whereas surgery is reserved for patients who demonstrate persistent functional limitations and neurologic symptoms...

Operative fixation of a patellar fracture can be accomplished through a variety of techniques. However, drawbacks have been associated with many of these techniques, including painful hardware, poor skin healing due to bruising and swelling, inadequate cartilage reduction, and eventual post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Throughout the orthopaedic field, minimally invasive approaches have become popular. We describe an arthroscopically assisted method for ensuring fracture reduction intraoperatively and addressing associated defects while the patella is stabilized using a minimally invasive percutaneous fixation technique with screws and a tension band construct...

The popliteus tendon plays a critical role in restraining the tibia against external rotation. It is often injured in the setting of posterolateral corner injuries. However, it is rarely injured in isolation from other structures of the posterolateral corner. This Technical Note describes an open anatomic reconstruction of the popliteus tendon. Although several techniques exist, this technique has been biomechanically validated and shown to have good outcomes. An early rehabilitation protocol focused on protected range of motion, edema control, quadriceps strengthening, and pain control is essential for maximizing patient outcomes...

Concomitant medial meniscus posterior horn root tears and lateral meniscus posterior horn root tears are rare in occurrence. There is limited literature on the simultaneous repair of medial and lateral meniscus root tears, with ACL reconstruction. We discuss management of concomitant medial meniscus posterior horn root tear (MMPHRT), lateral meniscus posterior horn root tear (LMPHRT), and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. We highlight the surgical technique in which we perform a repair of both medial and lateral meniscus posterior horn root repairs with ACL reconstruction...

Despite multiple modifications, the Latarjet is still the most popular procedure for recurrent anterior shoulder instability with glenoid bone loss . Partial or subtotal resorption of the graft is common, potentially leading to hardware prominence and risk of anterior soft-tissue impingement. To minimize the technical difficulties and morbidity associated with metallic implants, a coracoid and conjoint tendon transfer with a mini-open approach using Cerclage tape suture is described, as an alternative for the Latarjet procedure typically performed with metal screws and plates...

Many techniques have been described for posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction, but residual laxity remains an ongoing challenge. Suture or tape augmentation during ligament reconstruction has become a popular option to prevent graft elongation but comes at the expense of additional costs due to implants for augment fixation, and concern for stress shielding of the graft if the augment and graft are not equally tensioned. We introduce a technique for postless tape augmentation during allograft PCL reconstruction that allows for equal tensioning of graft and augment through the use of a sheath and screw construct without the need for additional implants for augment fixation...

Techniques in rotator cuff repair are constantly evolving, with the main goal of a biologic, stable, and tension-free construct. Significant controversy exists between various methods, and there is no gold standard surgical protocol. We demonstrate an alternative arthroscopic rotator cuff repair technique with 2 key components. First, we performed a transosseous equivalent, suture bridge technique with a combination of triple-loaded medial anchors and knotless lateral anchors. Second, we incorporated 2-strand and 3-strand suture shuttling through the torn rotator cuff and selective medial knot-tying...

Hip capsulotomy is performed during arthroscopic hip procedures to achieve adequate visualization of the joint and instrument access. The hip capsule, and in particular the iliofemoral ligament, is an important stabilizer of the hip joint, and patients who undergo capsulotomy without subsequent repair may experience hip pain and instability, with increased risk of requiring revision hip arthroscopy. Therefore, restoring watertight closure of the capsule is necessary to restore native biomechanics and achieve desired postoperative outcomes...

Management of chronic patellar instability in patients with open physis requires special reconstruction techniques to minimize the risks of femoral growth plate injury due to the close proximity of the open physis to the native femoral origin of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL). Children and adolescents have a relatively smaller patella than the adult group, so, there is a higher risk of patellar fracture when tunnels are performed in the patella. It is wise to mimic the normal anatomy of the medial patellofemoral complex (MPFC) by reconstruction of both of the medial quadriceps tendon femoral ligament (MQTFL) and MPFL, so as to restore the normal fan-shaped MPFC, with its wide anterior attachment to both of the patella and quadriceps tendon (QT)...

Quadriceps tendon rupture is a devastating injury that has traditionally been repaired using bone tunnels and knot tying. Recent innovations seeking to address persistent weakness and gap formation of repairs have used suture anchors and knotless technology. Despite these innovations, the clinical outcomes of these repairs continue to be mixed. We describe a technique that leverages a pre-tied knotted high-tension suture construct to allow for a re-tensionable quadriceps repair.

Capsular insufficiency of the shoulder associated with glenoid bone loss poses a major challenge to orthopaedic surgeons in the management of recurrent anterior instability. Multiple surgical techniques have been described in the literature with varying rates of success, and the majority of these are open techniques. We present a complete arthroscopic technique for anterior capsular reconstruction using acellular human dermal allograft patch in conjunction to an anatomic glenoid reconstruction using a distal tibial allograft in the lateral decubitus position...