Purpose: This study aims to assess the clinical presentation and surgical outcomes of lacertus syndrome (LS) and concomitant median nerve entrapments. Methods: A retrospective study of prospectively collected data was conducted on patients undergoing lacertus release (LR) from June 2012 to June 2021. Available DASH (Disability of the Arm Shoulder Hand questionnaire) scores and post-operative Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of pain, numbness, subjective satisfaction with surgical outcome, and intra-operative return of strength were analyzed. Results: Two-hundred-seventy-five surgical cases were identified of which 205 cases (74.5%) underwent isolated LR, and 69 cases (25.1%) concomitant lacertus and carpal tunnel release. The three most common presenting symptoms in LS patients were loss of hand strength (95.6%), loss of hand endurance/fatigue (73.3%), and forearm pain (35.4%). Numbness in the median nerve territory of the hand was found in all patients with combined LS and carpal tunnel syndrome. Quick-DASH significantly improved (pre-operative 34.4 (range 2.3–84.1) to post-operative 12.4 (range 0–62.5), p < 0.0001) as did work and activity DASH (p < 0.0001). The postoperative VAS scores were pain VAS 1.9 and numbness VAS 1.8. Eighty-eight percent of patients reported good/excellent satisfaction with the surgical outcome. Intra-operative return of strength was verified in 99.2% of cases. Conclusion: LS is a common median nerve compression syndrome typically presenting with loss of hand strength and hand endurance/fatigue. Minimally invasive LR immediately restores hand strength, significantly improves DASH scores, and yields positive outcomes regarding VAS pain, numbness, and subjective satisfaction with surgery in patients with proximal median nerve entrapment at a minimum six month follow-up.

Importance Graft choice for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) remains a subject of interest among orthopaedic surgeons because no ideal graft has yet been found. Peroneus longus tendon (PLT) has emerged as an alternative autograft for reconstruction in kneeling populations and in simultaneous anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries. Objective To evaluate the current evidence on the outcome of primary ACLR with PLT autograft in adults and donor ankle morbidity, in addition to determining the average PLT graft dimensions from published studies. Evidence review Two independent reviewers searched PubMed, CENTRAL, EMBASE, Scopus and Virtual Health Library databases using the terms “anterior cruciate ligament,” “peroneus longus” and “fibularis longus” alone and in combination with Boolean operators AND/OR. Studies evaluating clinical and stability outcomes, graft-donor ankle morbidity and graft dimensions of PLT in ACLR were included. Methodological quality was assessed using the Modified Coleman Methodology Score (mCMS). A narrative analysis is presented using frequency-weighted means wherever feasible. Publication bias was assessed using the ROBIS tool. Findings Twelve articles with intermediate-level methodological quality were included. Eight studies assessing the clinical and stability outcomes of reconstruction with PLT showed satisfactory outcomes, similar to those of hamstring tendons (HT). No studies assessed anterior knee pain as an outcome. Six studies evaluated the graft-donor ankle morbidity using general functional foot and ankle scores and non-validated tools, showing favourable outcomes. Nine studies assessed PLT graft diameter, revealing grafts consistently larger than 7 mm among the different preparation techniques, which is comparable with reports of HT grafts. Conclusions and relevance The clinical and stability outcomes of ACLR with different PLT autograft preparation techniques are comparable with those of HT during short-term follow-up; however, there is insufficient evidence to support its use in the populations that motivated its implementation. Thus, stronger evidence obtained with the use of validated tools reporting negligible donor-graft ankle morbidity after PLT harvesting is required prior to recommending its routine use, despite the consistency of its dimensions. Level of evidence Level III.

This classic discusses the original publication of Dohan Eherenfest et al. on "Classification of platelet concentrates: from pure platelet-rich plasma (P-PRP) to leucocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF)", in which the authors propose four categories of platelet concentrates depending on their leukocyte and fibrin content (P-PRP, leucocyte- and platelet-rich plasma (L-PRP), pure platelet-rich fibrin (P-PRF), and L-PRF) to group a "jungle" of products in which the term platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was used indistinctly. They were able to identify common factors such as: (1) the use of anticoagulant and immediate centrifugation of the blood after its collection, (2) most preparation techniques allowed platelet concentrate preparation within an hour, (3) the centrifugation aimed to separate the blood in layers that would allow the extraction of specific fractions, and (4) the product was activated with thrombin or calcium chloride. The reviewed manuscript has been listed among the most cited PRP articles in regenerative medicine, with more than 800 citations, driving the current scientific research and clinical practice by categorizing L-PRP and P-PRP (now, leukocyte-poor PRP). The classification has also opened the door to understanding intrinsic biological mechanisms between the platelets, leukocytes, fibrin, and growth factors, later considered for studying the proliferation and differentiation of cells in different tissues affected by PRP. Since the initial classification of platelet concentrates, several other classification systems have been proposed and published in the current literature, such as the PAW, Mishra, PLRA, DEPA, MARSPILL, etc. These classifications have identified important aspects of PRP that affect the biological composition and, ultimately, the indications and outcomes. To date, there is still a lack of standardization in sample preparation, cohort heterogeneity, and incomplete reporting of sample preparation utilized, leading to a lack of clarity and challenging researchers and clinicians.

Objective: To directly compare clinical and MRI outcomes of multiple intra-articular injections of adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs) or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Design: We retrospectively compared 24-month outcomes in (1) 27 patients receiving 3-monthly intra-articular injections with a total of 43.8 million ASCs and (2) 23 patients receiving 3-monthly injections of 3-ml preparation of PRP. All patients had Kellgren-Lawrence grade 1, 2, or 3 knee OA with failed conservative medical therapy. The Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) scores; Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 months after the first injection; and the MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score (MOAKS) at 12 and 24 months were considered as outcomes. Results: No major complications occurred in any patient. Both groups significantly improved in pain NPRS score and KOOS at 6 months. At 12- and 24-month evaluations, the ASC group significantly decreased scores to a greater degree ( P < 0.001) than the PRP group. MOAKS scores indicated a decrease in disease progression in the ASC group. Conclusion: Both ASCs and PRP were safe and resulted in clinical improvement in patients with knee OA at 6 months; however, at 12 and 24 months, ASCs outperformed leukocyte-poor PRP in clinical and radiological outcomes.