Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to compare the maximum load to failure and stiffness of three medial patella-femoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction techniques: (i) suture anchor fixation (SA), (ii) interference screw fixation (SF), and (iii) suture knot (SK) patellar fixation. The null hypothesis was that the comparison between these three different patella fixation techniques would show no difference in the ultimate failure load and stiffness.
Methods
Reconstruction of the MPFL with gracilis tendon autograft was performed in 12 pairs of fresh-frozen cadaveric knees (24 knees total; mean age, 63.6 \(\pm \) 8.0 years). The specimens were randomly distributed into 3 groups of 8 specimens; SA reconstruction was completed with two 3.0-mm metal suture anchors; (SF) fixation was accomplished by two 6-mm bio-composite interference screws; SK fixation at the lateral side of the patella was accomplished after drilling two semi-patellar tunnels with a diameter of 4.5 mm. The reconstructions were subjected to cyclic loading for 10 cycles to 30 N and tested to failure at a constant displacement rate of 15 mm/min using a materials-testing machine (MTS 810 Universal Testing System). The final load of failure (N), stiffness (N / mm) and failure mode was recorded in each specimen and followed by statistical analysis.
Results
There was no significant difference in mean ultimate failure load among the three groups. The SK group failed at a mean (\(\pm \) SD) ultimate load of 253.5 \(\pm \) 38.2 N, the SA group failed at 243 \(\pm \) 41.9 N and the SF group at 263.2 \(\pm \) 9.06 N. The SF group had a mean stiffness of 37.8 \(\pm \) 5.7 N/mm. This was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the mean stiffness value achieved for the SK group 21.4 \(\pm \) 9.5 N/mm and the SA group 18.7 \(\pm \) 3.4 N/mm. The most common mode of failure in the SA group was anchor pullout, and in the SK group was failure at the graft–suture interface. All the reconstructions in the SF group failed due to tendon graft slippage from the tunnel.
Conclusion
Load to failure was not significantly different between the 3 techniques. However, screw fixation was found to be significantly stronger than the anchor and the suture knot fixation in terms of rigidity of the reconstruction. From a clinical point of view, all methods of fixation can be used reliably for MPFL reconstruction, since they were found to be stronger than the native MPFL.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baldwin JL (2009) The anatomy of the medial patellofemoral ligament. Am J Sports Med 37(12):2355–2361
Bicos J, Fulkerson JP, Amis A (2007) Current concepts review: the medial patellofemoral ligament. Am J Sports Med 35(3):484–492
Cavaignac E, Pailhé R, Reina N, Murgier J, Laffosse JM, Chiron P et al (2016) Can the gracilis replace the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee? A biomechanical study. Int Orthop 40:1647–1653
Conlan T, Garth WP Jr, Lemons JE (1993) Evaluation of the medial soft tissue restraints of the extensor mechanism of the knee. J Bone Joint Surg Am 75(5):682–693
Criscenti G, De Maria C, Sebastiani E, Tei M, Placella G, Speziali A et al (2016) Material and structural tensile properties of the human medial patello-femoral ligament. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 54:141–148
Deie M, Ochi M, Sumen Y, Adachi N, Kobayashi K, Yasumoto M (2005) A long-term follow-up study after medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction using the transferred semitendinosus tendon for patellar dislocation. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 13(7):522–528
Desio SM, Burks RT, Bachus KN (1998) Soft tissue restraints to lateral patellar translation in the human knee. Am J Sports Med 26(1):59–65
Duerr RA, Chauhan A, Frank DA, DeMeo PJ, Akhavan S (2016) An algorithm for diagnosing and treating primary and recurrent patellar instability. JBJS Rev 4(9):01874474–201609000–00003.
Erickson BJ, Nguyen J, Gasik K, Gruber S, Brady J, Shubin Stein BE (2019) Isolated medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction for patellar instability regardless of tibial tubercle-trochlear groove distance and patellar height: outcomes at 1 and 2 years. Am J Sports Med 47(6):1331–1337
Hapa O, Akşahin E, Özden R, Pepe M, Yanat AN, Doğramacı Y et al (2012) Aperture fixation instead of transverse tunnels at the patella for medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 20(2):322–326
Hiemstra LA, Kerslake SA, Lafave MR (2019) Influence of risky pathoanatomy and demographic factors on clinical outcomes after isolated medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction: a regression analysis. Am J Sports Med 47(12):2904–2909
Hinterwimmer S, Imhoff AB, Minzlaff P, Saier T, Rosenstiel N, Hawe W et al (2013) Anatomical two-bundle medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction with hardware-free patellar graft fixation: technical note and preliminary results. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 21(9):2147–2154
Huber C, Zhang Q, Taylor WR, Amis AA, Smith C, Hosseini Nasab SH (2020) Properties and function of the medial patellofemoral ligament: a systematic review. Am J Sports Med 48(3):754–766
Joyner PW, Bruce J, Roth TS, Mills FB 4th, Winnier S, Hess R et al (2017) Biomechanical tensile strength analysis for medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction. Knee 24(5):965–976
Kruckeberg BM, Chahla J, Moatshe G, Cinque ME, Muckenhirn KJ, Godin JA et al (2018) Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the medial patellar ligaments: an anatomic and radiographic study. Am J Sports Med 46(1):153–162
Kyung H-S, Kim H-J (2015) Medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction: a comprehensive review. Knee Surg Relat Res 27(3):133–140
LaPrade MD, Kallenbach SL, Aman ZS, Moatshe G, Storaci HW, Turnbull TL et al (2018) Biomechanical evaluation of the medial stabilizers of the patella. Am J Sports Med 46(7):1575–1582
LaPrade RF, Engebretsen AH, Ly TV, Johansen S, Wentorf FA, Engebretsen L (2007) The anatomy of the medial part of the knee. J Bone Joint Surg Am 89(9):2000–2010
Lenschow S, Schliemann B, Gestring J, Herbort M, Schulze M, Kosters C (2013) Medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction: fixation strength of 5 different techniques for graft fixation at the patella. Arthroscopy 29(4):766–773
Mehta V, Mandala C, Akhter A (2017) Cyclic testing of 3 medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction techniques. Orthop J Sports Med https://doi.org/10.1177/2325967117712685
Mountney J, Senavongse W, Amis AA, Thomas NP (2005) Tensile strength of the medial patellofemoral ligament before and after repair or reconstruction. J Bone Joint Surg Br 87(1):36–40
Mulliez A, Lambrecht D, Verbruggen D, Van Der Straeten C, Verdonk P, Victor J (2017) Clinical outcome in MPFL reconstruction with and without tuberositas transposition. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 25:2708–2714
Nomura E, Horiuchi Y, Kihara M (2000) Medial patellofemoral ligament restraint in lateral patellar translation and reconstruction. Knee 7(2):121–127
Olson SA, Marsh JL, Anderson DD, Latta Pe LL (2012) Designing a biomechanics investigation: choosing the right model. J Orthop Trauma 26(12):672–677
Panagopoulos A, van Niekerk L, Triantafillopoulos IK (2008) MPFL reconstruction for recurrent patellar dislocation: a new surgical technique and review of the literature. Int J Sports Med 29(5):359–365
Panni AS, Alam M, Cerciello S, Vasso M, Maffulli N (2011) Medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction with a divergent patellar transverse 2- tunnel technique. Am J Sports Med 39(12):2647–2655
Parikh SN, Nathan ST, Wall EJ, Eismann EA (2013) Complications of medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction in young patients. Am J Sports Med 41(5):1030–1038
Parikh SN, Wall EJ (2011) Patellar fracture after medial patellofemoral ligament surgery: a report of five cases. J Bone Joint Surg Am 93(17): e 97(1–8).
Parikh SN, Lykissas MG, Gkiatas I (2018) Predicting risk of recurrent patellar dislocation. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 11(2):253–260
Russ SD, Tompkins M, Nuckley D, Macalena J (2015) Biomechanical comparison of patellar fixation techniques in medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction. Am J Sports Med 43(1):195–199
Russo F, Doan J, Chase DC, Farnsworth CL, Pennock AT (2016) Medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction: fixation technique biomechanics. J Knee Surg 29(4):303–309
Saper MG, Meijer K, Winnier S, Popovich JJR, Andrews JR, Roth C (2017) Biomechanical evaluation of classic solid and all-soft suture anchors for medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction. Am J Sports Med 45:1622–1626
Savitzky A, Golay MJE (1964) Smoothing and differentiation of data by simplified least squares procedures. Anal Chem 36(8):1627–1639
Shah JN, Howard JS, Flanigan DC, Brophy RH, Carey JL, Lattermann C (2012) A systematic review of complications and failures associated with medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction for recurrent patellar dislocation. Am J Sports Med 40(8):1916–1923
Siebold R, Borbon CAV (2012) Arthroscopic extraarticular reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament with gracilis tendon autograft - surgical technique. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 20:1245–1251
Schöttle PB, Hensler D, Imhoff AB (2010) Anatomical double-bundle MPFL reconstruction with an aperture fixation. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 18(2):147–151
Schöttle PB, Schmeling A, Romero J, Weiler A (2009) Anatomical reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament using a free gracilis autograft. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 129(3):305–309
Schöttle PB, Fucentese SF, Romero J (2005) Clinical and radiological outcome of medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction with a semitendinosus autograft for patella instability. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 13(7):516–521
Tompkins M, Arendt EA (2012) Complications in patellofemoral surgery. Sports Med Arthrosc 20:187–193
Wang C-H, Ma L-F, Zhou J-W, Ji G, Wang HY, Wang F et al (2013) Double-bundle anatomical versus single-bundle isometric medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction for patellar dislocation. Int Orthop 37(4):617–624
Wang Q, Huang W, Cai D, Huang H (2017) Biomechanical comparison of single- and double-bundle medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction. J Orthop Surg Res 12(1):29
Warren LF, Marshall JL (1979) The supporting structures and layers on the medial side of the knee. J Bone Joint Surg Am 61:56–62
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge H. Kapsouris, Mathematician, for his help regarding graphic design, and Stryker Company for donating anchors and bio-composite screws.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Funding
This study and all authors have received no funding.
Conflict of interest
Author Vasilios A. Raoulis, Author Aristidis Zibis, Author Maria Dimitra Chiotelli, Author Alexis T. Kermanidis, Author Konstantinos Banios, Author Philipp Schuster and Author Michael Hantes, declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical approval
This study was approved by IRB (Institutional Review Board) of the Medical School of University of Thessaly as part of the PhD thesis of one of the authors (ID number 2754).
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Raoulis, V.A., Zibis, A., Chiotelli, M.D. et al. Biomechanical evaluation of three patellar fixation techniques for MPFL reconstruction: Load to failure did not differ but interference screw stabilization was stiffer than suture anchor and suture-knot fixation. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 29, 3697–3705 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-020-06389-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-020-06389-4