Keywords
posterior cruciate ligament - tibial avulsion fracture - cannulated screws
Introduction
The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is twice as strong as the anterior cruciate
ligament. It is the main restrictor to the posterior translation of the flexed knee.[1]
[2] Posterior cruciate ligament tibial avulsion fractures (PCLTAFs) are rare injuries,
usually caused by high-energy mechanisms and accompanied by other injuries.[3] The conservative treatment for displaced PCLTAFs does not result in anatomical consolidation.
The consequent chronic knee instability can lead to chronic pain, knee stiffness,
and progressive patellofemoral chondral damage.[4]
[5]
[6]
[7] As such, there is a consensus in the literature that the treatment of choice for
displaced PCLTAF is surgical therapy.[8]
[9] Open reduction and internal fixation is the most frequently used and reported treatment.
However, series[8]
[10]
[11] with an arthroscopic technique have also been described, resulting in comparable
outcomes.
The posterior drawer test enables a subjective assessment of the degree of posterior
knee instability on the physical examination. Its reported[12]
[13] that sensitivity ranges from 22% to 98%, with 98% of specificity and a high interobserver
variability. Several radiological techniques have been described to determine posterior
stability, quantifying the posterior translation of the tibia in relation to the femur.
Among them, Telos-type (Telos Medical, Millersville, MD, US) radiography and the comparative
knee stress radiography are deemed the most reliable;[14]
[15]
[16] in addition, the latter is the most accessible and cost-effective method[14] ([Figure 1]).
Fig. 1 (A and B) Measurement of tibial posterior translation. The most posterior point in the Blumensaat
line is indicated. A line tangent to the posterior cortex of the tibia is drawn. A
line perpendicular to the one connecting those two references is the distance, which
is then compared with the healthy contralateral side.[8] (C) Position of the knee for comparative radiographs.
The present study aims to perform a clinical, imaging, and functional evaluation of
patients with PCLTAF stabilized with open reduction and fixation of cannulated screws.
The primary objective is to determine the anteroposterior stability by measuring the
posterior translation of the tibia through knee stress radiographs of the operated
limb compared to the healthy contralateral limb, in addition to a subjective measurement
with the posterior drawer test. The secondary objectives are to record the percentage
of radiographic consolidation, to assess functionality using the Lysholm and Tegner
scores, and to report the postoperative complications.
Materials and Methods
The present is a descriptive, retrospective study of 26 patients with PCLTAF operated
on from August 2010 to September 2017 by the same surgeon (EG) and surgical team at
a level-1 trauma center. The following inclusion criteria were applied: avulsed fragment
displacement greater than 2 mm on radiographs, computed tomography (CT), or magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) scans with no intrasubstance injury, surgery within 4 weeks
after the trauma, with grade-III of clinical instability on the posterior drawer test
(> 10 mm in posterior translation), combined knee injuries (meniscal or ligament injuries,
periarticular fractures) and a minimum follow-up of 12 months. Patients with bilateral
injuries, nondisplaced avulsion fractures, with more than 4 weeks of evolution, grades
I (< 5 mm) and II (5 to 10 mm) of clinical instability on the posterior drawer test,
open fractures, vascular injuries, older than 65 years of age, with a follow-up period
shorter than 12 months, and those lost to follow-up were excluded from the study.
All patients were operated on in prone position, and three different approaches were
used in the study. The traditional posterior approach described by Trickey,[17] with a sinusoidal (“S”-shaped) incision in line with the popliteal fossa fold, was
used in the first six patients. Due to technical evolutions and the surgeon's preference,
two patients were operated on with a posterior “L” approach modified from Burks and
Schaffer,[18] in which the posterior joint capsule is approached in an intermuscular plane between
the semimembranosus muscle and the medial gastrocnemius muscle, laterally reflecting
the neurovascular structures. The last 12 patients were operated on using the minimally-invasive
approach described by Frosch et al.[19] In contrast to the approach by Burks and Schaffer,[18] the skin is incised longitudinally 3 cm to 4 cm from the muscular belly of the medial
gastrocnemius, and vertically at the level of the joint line ([Figure 2]). Intraoperative ischemia was used in 11 out of 20 patients according to surgeon's
preference ([Table 1]). All PCLTAFs were fixed with one 4.5-mm cannulated screw with washer. Postoperatively,
all patients received low-molecular-weight heparin and wore anti-embolism stockings
for 14 days. The rehabilitation protocol consisted of immobilization in extension
for 3 weeks, followed by progressive flexion in increments of 30° per week until the
6th week. From the sixth week onwards, full ranges of motion and loading were allowed
as tolerated. At the most recent evaluation, clinical stability was recorded using
the posterior drawer test, which was performed by a traumatologist from our knee team
with five years of experience in this subspecialty (AS-H), in addition to a more objective
stability assessment using comparative knee stress radiography. As secondary endpoints,
radiographic consolidation of the avulsed fragment (assessed by anteroposterior and
lateral knee radiographs, and reported by a musculoskeletal radiologist from our hospital),
range of motion of the knee, complications, and functionality were evaluated using
the Lysholm and Tegner scores. The Shapiro-Wilk test analyzed the normality of the
distribution of the variables studied. Hypothesis tests were performed accordingly
(the Student t-test for the parametric variables, and the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test for the non-parametric
variables). For the descriptive statistical analysis, the Stata (StataCorp, LLC, College
Station, TX, US) software, version 12.0, as well as the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test
and the Student t-test were used. The present research was approved by the institutional ethics committee.
Fig. 2 Minimally-invasive approach described by Frosch et al.[19] (A) Reduction of posterior cruciate ligament tibial avulsion fracture. (B) Fixation with cannulated screw. (C) Postoperative wound.
Table 1
|
N
|
Gender
|
Age
|
Knee-associated injuries
|
Side
|
Injury mechanism
|
Time from injury to surgery (days)
|
Incision
|
Ischemia
|
|
1
|
M
|
43
|
ACL, MCL, PLC
|
Left
|
Crushing
|
13
|
Traditional, posterior
|
yes
|
|
2
|
M
|
51
|
MCL
|
Left
|
BF
|
7
|
Traditional, posterior
|
yes
|
|
3
|
M
|
58
|
TP Fx, IM
|
Left
|
MF
|
17
|
Traditional, posterior
|
yes
|
|
4
|
M
|
45
|
EM root
|
Right
|
MF
|
3
|
Traditional, posterior
|
no
|
|
5
|
M
|
37
|
Hoffa, patella, TP Fx
|
Left
|
MF
|
11
|
Traditional, posterior
|
no
|
|
6
|
M
|
32
|
PMC
|
Left
|
BF
|
9
|
Traditional, posterior
|
no
|
|
7
|
M
|
58
|
MCL, EM
|
Right
|
Fall from height
|
9
|
Posterior in “L”
|
no
|
|
8
|
M
|
37
|
no
|
Right
|
MF
|
18
|
Posterior in “L”
|
no
|
|
9
|
M
|
34
|
no
|
Left
|
MF
|
8
|
MIS
|
no
|
|
10
|
M
|
35
|
no
|
Left
|
MF
|
5
|
MIS
|
yes
|
|
11
|
M
|
33
|
no
|
Right
|
Fall from height
|
18
|
MIS
|
no
|
|
12
|
M
|
42
|
no
|
Left
|
MF
|
1
|
MIS
|
no
|
|
13
|
F
|
32
|
Patella, TP, distal femur Fx
|
Right
|
Car accident
|
11
|
MIS
|
no
|
|
14
|
M
|
34
|
no
|
Right
|
MF
|
5
|
MIS
|
yes
|
|
15
|
M
|
44
|
no
|
Right
|
Car accident
|
21
|
MIS
|
yes
|
|
16
|
M
|
52
|
no
|
Left
|
MF
|
12
|
MIS
|
yes
|
|
17
|
M
|
61
|
no
|
Left
|
MF
|
5
|
MIS
|
yes
|
|
18
|
M
|
46
|
no
|
Right
|
MF
|
20
|
MIS
|
yes
|
|
19
|
M
|
32
|
no
|
Right
|
MF
|
7
|
MIS
|
yes
|
|
20
|
M
|
55
|
no
|
Left
|
BF
|
13
|
MIS
|
yes
|
Results
In total, 26 patients underwent surgery, and 20 (19 men and 1 woman) were included
in the final sample ([Figure 3]). The mean age of these patients was 41 years (range: 32 to 61 years). The trauma
mechanism involved high energy in 94% of the cases, and 53% of the subjects had at
least 1 associated injury in the same knee ([Table 1]). The mean follow-up was of 33.6 months (range: 12 to 82 months). The subjective
evaluation with the drawer test after the physical examination showed greater clinical
stability in 93% of the patients (grades 0 and I on the posterior drawer test). The
comparative knee stress radiographs revealed an average difference of 2.6 mm (range:
0.1 mm to 6.8 mm). All fractures presented radiographic consolidation. The mean range
of motion of the knee at the end of the follow-up period was of 1° to 118°. Of the
20 patients, 7 had complications: 4 patients suffered deep vein thrombosis (DVT),
and 3 presented knee stiffness that required mobilization under anesthesia ([Table 2]). The mean preoperative (postinjury) Lysholm score was of 29.06 (standard deviation
[SD]: 11.4), which increased to 85.17 (SD: 7.6) at the end of the follow-up period,
with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.0001) on the Wilcoxon-Mann-Withney test. The average preinjury Tegner score was
of 4.2 (SD: 1), which decreased to 4 (SD: 0.7) at the end of the follow-up period,
with no statistically significant difference on the Student t-test ([Table 3]).
Table 2
|
N
|
Follow-up (months)
|
Range of motion
|
Consolidation
|
Positive drawer test (0, +1, +2, +3)
|
Comparative knee stress radiography (difference in mm)
|
Preop Lysholm
|
Postop Lysholm
|
Preop Tegner
|
Postop Tegner
|
Complication
|
|
1
|
82
|
0–120°
|
yes
|
1
|
2.5
|
27
|
94
|
6
|
5
|
no
|
|
2
|
70
|
0–115°
|
yes
|
0
|
6.8
|
14
|
73
|
5
|
4
|
DVT
|
|
3
|
58
|
0–130
|
yes
|
0
|
5
|
21
|
93
|
4
|
4
|
no
|
|
4
|
55
|
0–130°
|
yes
|
1
|
1.2
|
37
|
90
|
5
|
5
|
no
|
|
5
|
79
|
15–90°
|
yes
|
0
|
6.4
|
17
|
79
|
3
|
3
|
arthrofibrosis
|
|
6
|
50
|
0–130°
|
yes
|
1
|
5.7
|
26
|
94
|
5
|
5
|
no
|
|
7
|
45
|
0–115°
|
yes
|
1
|
0.1
|
22
|
83
|
5
|
4
|
DVT
|
|
8
|
30
|
0–110°
|
yes
|
0
|
1
|
32
|
84
|
5
|
5
|
arthrofibrosis
|
|
9
|
14
|
0–115°
|
yes
|
2
|
1
|
39
|
69
|
5
|
4
|
DVT
|
|
10
|
12
|
0–130°
|
yes
|
0
|
1.5
|
29
|
90
|
4
|
4
|
no
|
|
11
|
18
|
0–130°
|
yes
|
0
|
0.2
|
24
|
78
|
4
|
3
|
no
|
|
12
|
13
|
0–130°
|
yes
|
1
|
3
|
64
|
87
|
5
|
4
|
no
|
|
13
|
15
|
0–90°
|
yes
|
0
|
1.7
|
31
|
79
|
3
|
3
|
arthrofibrosis
|
|
14
|
17
|
0–120°
|
yes
|
0
|
2
|
31
|
84
|
4
|
4
|
no
|
|
15
|
12
|
0–130°
|
yes
|
0
|
5.1
|
27
|
89
|
2
|
2
|
DVT
|
|
16
|
34
|
0–130°
|
yes
|
1
|
0.7
|
27
|
95
|
5
|
5
|
no
|
|
17
|
22
|
0–115°
|
yes
|
0
|
0.8
|
24
|
87
|
3
|
3
|
no
|
|
18
|
13
|
0–115°
|
yes
|
0
|
1.0
|
40
|
87
|
5
|
4
|
no
|
|
19
|
17
|
0–110°
|
yes
|
1
|
5.2
|
32
|
90
|
5
|
5
|
no
|
|
20
|
23
|
0–110°
|
yes
|
0
|
4
|
26
|
94
|
3
|
3
|
no
|
Table 3
|
Patients (n= 20)
|
|
Lysholm score, mean +/- standard deviation
|
|
|
Preoperative
|
29.20 ± 11.8
|
|
Postoperative
|
84.27 ± 7.57 (95%CI: -62.48 to -47.65)
|
|
p-value
|
< 0.0001
|
|
Tegner activity score
|
|
|
Preoperative
|
4.25 ± 1.06
|
|
Postoperative
|
3.94 ± 0.77 (95%CI: -0.36 to 0.98)
|
|
p-value
|
0.3494
|
|
Posterior tibial translation on comparative knee stress radiography (in mm)
|
|
|
< 2 mm
|
11
|
|
2 to 5 mm
|
4
|
|
5 to 10 mm
|
5
|
Fig. 3 Flowchart of the patient selection.
Discussion
In patients with displaced PCLTAF, open reduction and internal fixation with cannulated
screws can restore clinical and radiological stability in the medium term. In the
present clinical series, three types of approach were used. The wide posterior approach
described by Trickey[17] was used in the first six patients, and it requires an extensive dissection, in
which the proximal belly of the medial gastrocnemius muscle is completely released
for excellent exposure and direct visualization of neurovascular structures. Some
authors[20] still use it. However, the longer surgical time, muscle weakness, and flexion contractures
due to excessive scarring are some major disadvantages, and we decided to use less
extensive approaches instead. Burks and Schaffer[18] described a medial “L”-shaped approach, which was used in two patients in our series.
This approach is difficult in obese and muscular patients; in addition, since the
exposure of the lateral base of the PCL is limited, insertion of the screw perpendicular
to the fracture line is not always feasible, because it may compromise the stability
of the fixation. Most authors[10]
[21]
[22]
[23] prefer this incision over the former because it is less invasive and it does not
expose the neurovascular structures. We used the minimally-invasive approach described
by Frosch et al.[19] for the last 12 patients in our series. This approach is described as simpler and
faster, with better cosmetic outcomes and fewer soft-tissue complications. When evaluating
the functional outcomes and complications from our series and comparing them according
to the type of approach, there is a slight trend for better results among the group
submitted to the traditional posterior approach, but with no statistical significance
([Table 2]). Further studies with larger samples are required to determine the safest approach
with the lowest rate of complications. In an attempt to gather a larger sample of
patients, our team is currently using the minimally-invasive approach described by
Frosch.[19] However, the traditional posterior approach must be considered in obese and muscular
patients, as well as in those previously operated, because less invasive procedures
are technically more difficult in these cases.
There is a wide range of fixation methods for PCLTAF, from sutures and the placement
of buttons in arthroscopic techniques to antegrade and retrograde screw fixation in
open procedures. There is no consensus in the literature demonstrating a clear superiority
of one osteosynthesis method over another.[8]
[24] A biomechanical study assessed stiffness, elongation, and maximum load resistance
in different fixation methods. It revealed the biomechanical superiority of antegrade
screws with washer over the sutures, and the equivalent efficiency of retrograde screws
and high-resistance sutures with cortical fixation buttons.[25] All fractures in our series were treated with cannulated, full-thread screws with
washers, achieving excellent fixation to the proximal metaphyseal bone of the tibia.
We consider that this osteosynthesis method is sufficient because all patients presented
radiographic consolidation during the first 6 months of follow-up, with no need for
revision due to nonunion ([Table 2]).
When evaluating subjective stability using the posterior drawer test, our findings
were consistent with those described in the literature with a longer follow-up time.
In our study, 12 patients presented grade 0, 7 patients were classified as grade I,
and 1 patient presented grade II on the drawer test ([Table 2]). Sabat et al.[10] reported 20 patients with grade I, and 7 patients with grade II on the posterior
drawer test after 1 year of follow-up. The Lamichhane and Mahara[23] series describes 10 cases with a negative posterior drawer test, 1 case with grade
I instability and 1 case with grade II. In the study by Abdallah and Arafa,[22] 81.5% of the patients had a negative posterior drawer test, 14.8% wered grade I,
and 3.7%, grade II after 1 year of follow-up.
The main strength of the present study is the objective evaluation of the postoperative
stability using comparative knee stress radiographs, an easily reproducible and accessible
technique which is also more cost-effective than the Telos method.[14]
[15] Schulz et al.[26] evaluated the stability in more than one thousand patients with PCL lesions with
Telos stress radiography. An absolute posterior translation higher than 8 mm indicates
a complete PCL tear, and values higher than 12 mm suggest an additional injury to
the posteromedial or posterolateral corners of the knee. In the present study, the
mean difference in posterior translation compared to that of the healthy side was
of 2.6 mm (range: 0.1 mm to 6.8 mm). In total, 11 patients had normal stability (less
than 2 mm of compared posterior translation), 4 presented grade-I instability (2 mm
to 5 mm), and 5, grade-II instability (5 mm to 10 mm), but none presented a comparative
difference in posterior translation higher than 6.8 mm ([Tables 2] and [3]). To our knowledge, two studies[27]
[28] objectively measured the posterior translation of the tibia after the surgical treatment
for PCLTAF, and neither of them used knee stress radiographs. Khatri et al.[27] reported 20 patients with grade-I instability and 7 with grade-II using lateral
radiographs with posterior stress through the active hamstring flexion test. Pardiwala
et al.[28] conducted a randomized clinical study comparing the arthroscopic technique and the
open technique for the treatment of PCLTAF with a minimum follow-up period of 2 years.
These authors did not describe the stress radiography method they used; from the total
sample, they found 18 patients with normal stability, 5 with grade-I posterior instability,
and two with grade-II posterior instability.
Arthrofibrosis was observed in 3 out of 20 patients (15%), including 2 subjects with
isolated injuries and 1 patient with combined knee lesions. This percentage is consistent
with those of other series, which reported values of up to 25% with the open technique.[20]
[21]
[28]
[29] This figure was of 36% in a series[8] using the arthroscopic technique. In our institution, arthrofibrosis is diagnosed
when there is no extension at 0° and/or flexion higher than 90° after 6 weeks, and
the patient is submitted to mobilization under anesthesia. Although the mean range
of motion was good in the present series (1° to 118°), 2 out of the 3 patients requiring
mobilization under anesthesia did not achieve more than 90° of flexion at the end
of the follow-up period ([Table 2]). In the present series, 4 out of 20 patients (20%) had DVT, a high number compared
to those of other studies. All patients received postoperative prophylaxis for thromboembolic
disease with low-molecular-weight heparin and anti-embolism stockings for up to 14
days. No association was found between DVT and the time from injury to surgery, the
number of associated injuries, the type of approach, the surgical time, the ischemia
time, or smoking. As the present is a small series, we believe that the high percentage
of complications may be due to chance, and an increased sample size could balance
this bias.
The functional evaluation, carried out for an average follow-up period of almost three
years, demonstrated satisfactory outcomes in most patients. The improvement in the
Lysholm scores after surgery was statistically significant. However, this improvement
is limited because it considers patients with multiple associated lesions, in whom
a very low Lysholm score is expected in the acute setting, which is not necessarily
explained by the PCLTAF. Even so, an average score of 85 points at the end of the
follow-up is consistent with the scores of other studies.[22]
[27] Most injuries occurred in high-energy accidents, which is also consistent with the
literature. In total, 8 out of the 20 patients had combined injuries in the same knee
([Table 1]). These 8 patients required additional surgeries for PCLTAF fixation, but their
functional outcomes were not inferior to those observed in 14 patients with isolated
lesions (Lysholm scores of 85.4 and 86.1 respectively). Another important aspect to
consider is that all the patients in the present study could take paid leaves from
work, potentially influencing their outcomes and recovery times.[30] We did not find statistically significant differences between Tegner scores prior
to injury and after treatment, revealing that patients usually returned to their baseline
status and resumed their usual activities ([Table 3]). This finding is particularly relevant when considering that this is a young, active
population, in which all patients were involved in construction work and could take
paid leaves. The return to work observed here supports the indication of fixation
in this population.
Like most papers on PCLTAF,[8] the main limitations of the present study are its retrospective, non-comparative
design, and small sample size. Furthermore, since this is a rare diagnosis usually
associated with concomitant injuries, it is very difficult to analyze PCLTAFs as isolated
lesions. When evaluating functional outcomes and complications, multiple variables
that cannot be isolated in a clinical series must be considered. Even so, in patients
with severe associated injuries, the functional outcomes at the end of the follow-up
period were not inferior to those observed in patients with isolated injuries ([Tables 1] and [2]). Prospective studies with larger sample sizes are required to compare open and
arthroscopic techniques with long-term follow-up periods to evaluate functional outcomes,
radiographic stability, and complications to determine the ideal treatment for these
lesions.
Conclusions
The fixation of PCLTAFs with full-thread screws and washers is effective in restoring
the posterior stability of the knee, as revealed by comparative stress radiographs
and clinical posterior drawer tests. Clinical functionality is good despite the high
number of complications and concomitant injuries.