Artelon as a Bio-Scaffold to Augment Collateral Ligament Repair after Knee Dislocation

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Biomaterials science

Background:

• Knee dislocations (KD) frequently involve multi-ligamentous injuries (MLI), with collateral ligament rupture in 50-60% of cases.
• Traditional primary repair of collateral ligaments has suboptimal microscopic healing.
• Artelon, a degradable bio-scaffold, is proposed to enhance healing, motion, and strength in ligamentous injuries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Artelon as an augmentation for collateral ligament repair in knee dislocations.
• To compare outcomes of Artelon augmentation versus primary ligamentous repair in patients with KD and MLI.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study included 32 patients with KD and MLI undergoing collateral ligament repair.
• Patients were divided into two groups: Artelon augmentation (AG, n=16) and primary repair (PR, n=16).
• Exclusion criteria included age <18, ipsilateral fractures, and inadequate follow-up. Perioperative variables were analyzed.

Main Results:

• No significant demographic or injury-type differences were observed between the AG and PR groups.
• Both groups showed similar outcomes regarding meniscal pathology, infection, and re-operation rates.
• Functional outcomes (Lysholm and Tegner scores) were not significantly different, though both decreased from pre-injury levels. One gross failure occurred in the AG.

Conclusions:

• Artelon is safe for collateral ligament augmentation in knee dislocations, with no increased risk of hypersensitivity or infection.
• Artelon demonstrated non-inferiority and statistical equivalence to primary repair for collateral ligament augmentation in this cohort.
• Artelon may hold promise for specific types of knee dislocations requiring collateral ligament repair.