Summary
The architecture of the arteries supplying the patellar rete was examined in 14 anatomic specimens in order to develop an optimized operating technique for knee joint transplantation. The specimens were fixed in Jores Solution and exarticulated from the hip joint. The lower limbs were injected with Berliner-Blau-Gelatin, and the arteries were dissected macroscopically. Five to six main arteries entered the patellar rete at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 11 o'clock forming an arterial circle. These arteries were the same main arteries which supply the distal end of the femur and the proximal part of the tibia. From an anatomic perspective, they provide the complete arterial blood supply to a whole knee joint being transplanted including the patella. Based on these anatomic results, we transplanted two allogenic vascularized human knee joints preserving the patella, the capsule, and the patellar ligament. Up to six months after surgery we demonstrated the perfusion and viability of all three transplanted bones, particularly the patella, by 99mTc DPD scintigraphy. We compared these findings with knee joint arthroscopy and with histologic results from biopsies taken from the patella. The postoperative examinations clearly indicated the viability of the transplanted patella employing this new operating technique. The results of the entire study demonstrate that it is technically feasible to transplant a whole knee joint which remains clinically viable.
Résumé
La disposition des artères alimentant le réseau patellaire a été examinée sur 14 pièces anatomiques dans le but d'améliorer la technique de la transplantation de l'articulation du genou. Les pièces étaient fixées dans la solution de Jores et désarticulées à la hanche. Les membres inférieurs étaient injectés à la gélatine colorée au bleu de Berlin et les artères étaient disséquées sans grossissement optique. Cinq ou six artères alimentaient le réseau patellaire à 1, 3, 5, 7 et 11 heures et formaient un cercle artériel. Ces artères sont les mêmes artères principales qui vascularisent la partie distale du fémur et la partie proximale du tibia. D'un point de vue anatomique, ces artères fournissent la totalité de la vascularisation artérielle de l'articulation du genou à transplanter, patella incluse. A partir de ces résultats anatomiques, nous avons préparé et transplanté deux articulations de genou humaines comme allogreffes vascularisées incluant la patella, la capsule et le ligament patellaire. Plus de 6 mois après l'intervention, nous avons montré la vascularisation et la réhabitation de ces trois os transplantés, en particulier de la patella grâce à la scintigraphie au technetium 99. Nous avons comparé ces résultats avec les données de l'arthroscopie et l'analyse histologique des biopsies prélevées au niveau de la patella. Les examens postopératoires ont clairement montré la réhabitation des patellas transplantées grâce à cette nouvelle technique opératoire. Les résultats de cette étude montrent qu'il est techniquement faisable de transplanter une articulation du genou entière, qui reste cliniquement viable.
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Kirschner, M.H., Menck, J., Nerlich, A. et al. The arterial blood supply of the human patella. Surg Radiol Anat 19, 345–351 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01628498
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01628498