In rare cases, knee trauma in children can lead to lesions of the knee ligaments requiring surgery.
The growth plates around the knee complicate the reconstructive procedure thus requiring specialist surgical skills. It is primarily the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) that heals insufficiently after injury and reconstructive surgery may be required. In rare cases, lesions to the posterior cruciate ligament also require reconstruction.
Another challenge in paediatric sports traumatology is patella instability. Recurrent patella instability is most often due to patellofemoral dysplasia in the knee joint. The treatment may consist of surgery to stabilise the patella ligaments.
Osteochondritis dissicans is a condition of subchondral bone necrosis leading to disabilitating cartilage and osteochondral joint surface lesion. The condition is typically seen in adolescents. Restoration of this joint surface lesion requires various types of surgical interventions involving transplantation of bone and cartilage.
Ongoing projects
1. Results of the treatment by ACLreconstruction in children. Data from the Danish Ligament Register.
Studies are conducted on the clinical and functional outcome of the treatment after reconstruction of the ligament in children. Data are extracted from the Danish Ligament Register, a national clinical database containing data on all patients undergoing ligament reconstruction since 2005.
2. Results of the treatment by ACL reconstruction in children. A radiological examination of growth disturbance as a result of reconstruction.
Growth disturbance after reconstruction of the ligament in children is assessed radiologically.
3. Results of the treatment by MPFL reconstruction in children.
A study of the clinical and functional outcome of surgical treatment of patella instability in adolescents.
4. Treatment of osteochondral lesions with composite transplantations.
Experimental and clinical studies are conducted.
Methods
• Clinical studies to examine the result of treatment
• Quantitative, radiological assessment of osseous growth disturbance
• Paediatric patient-related outcome instruments
• Experimental animal models in osteochondral repair.
Milestones and publications
• Establishment of the Sports Traumatology Research Unit in 2004 at Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
Lind M, Enderlein D, Nielsen T, Christiansen SE, Faunø P. Clinical outcome after reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament in paediatric patients with recurrent patella instability. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2014 Nov 22.