Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Because osteochondral fracture fragments are lack of effective fixators and long-term clinical observation, the treatment of osteochondral fracture of the knee is a common difficult problem in bone and joint surgery.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical effectiveness of arthroscopic bioabsorbable cartilage screws in the treatment of osteochondral injury of the knee.
METHODS: Totally 19 patients with osteochondral injury of the knee were included. Cartilage damage areas and bone fractures were fixed with self-reinforced polypropylene bioabsorbable cartilage screws under arthroscopy. Then, negative pressure drainage tube was removed within 24 hours after internal fixation. Besides, antibiotic prophylaxis for surgical site infection was no more than 48 hours and adequate analgesia conditions were provided for the continuous passive motion of the knee. After that, patients could walk with full weight bearing after knee hinge brace fixation for 6 weeks.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: All 19 patients were followed up for 3 months to 2 years, and the average was 13.2 months. Patients resumed social activities in 2 weeks to 3 months after treatment. Postoperative Lysholm knee score was (83.25±5.63) points, and tegner movement rating was 6.1±0.87. There was a significant difference between the preoperative and postoperative paired test (P < 0.05). These results suggest that arthroscopic bioabsorbable cartilage screws for osteochondral injury of the knee can effectively fix the shedding cartilage bone, promote cartilage repair and improve knee function.