| Abstrakt: |
Liquifying poly-DL lactic acid (PLDLLA) suture anchors represent a novel fixation technique in lateral ligament reconstruction. Biomechanical testing has demonstrated that these bone-welding anchors have significant resistance to pullout in cancellous bone. To determine if this superior strength translates to improved clinical outcomes, an initial evaluation of complications and patient-reported outcomes of ultrasound-activated anchor fixation was conducted. A chart review of prospectively collected data were conducted on 8 patients who underwent a modified Broström technique using bone-welding technology for lateral ligament fixation. All surgeries were performed by a single surgeon, for similar clinical indications, and utilized 1 or 2 ultrasound-activated anchors. Clinical data and postoperative patient-reported outcomes (visual analog scale and Short Form Health Survey-36) were collected over 1 year and analyzed. Preoperative, 6-month, and 1-year visual analog scale scores were 4.3±1.9 (range, 2 to 7), 0.7±1.5 (range, 0 to 4) (P=0.004), and 0±0 (P=0.002), respectively. The Short Form Health Survey-36 preoperative, 6-month, and 1-year physical functioning scale scores were 61.3±31.3 (range, 15 to 100), 87.5±16.9 (range, 50 to 100) (P=0.024), and 98.6±2.4 (range, 95 to 100) (P=0.0096), respectively. There were no major complications. Use of ultrasonic-activated anchors demonstrated improvement in patient-reported outcomes with a low incidence of clinical complications. Future work is needed to confirm these findings in a larger sample and directly compare these anchors with the current leading fixation devices.Level of Evidence:Diagnostic Level IV, Case Series. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. |
