title: Broken bioabsorbable femoral cross-pin as a cause of a chondral lesion after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
abstract: We present a case of a chondral lesion after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction caused by femoral cross-pin breakage and intra-articular migration of the fragment. A 20-year-old man initially underwent ACL reconstruction using a hamstring autograft. The RigidFix bioabsorbable cross-pin (DePuy Mitek) was used for the femoral fixation. The patient returned to a pre-injury level of activity (professional soccer player) 6 months postoperatively. However, 20 months postoperatively, the patient presented with effusion and lateral joint-line pain after practice, without signs of instability in clinical examination. Conservative treatment failed and at re-arthroscopy a chondral lesion of the lateral femoral and tibial condyle was found, which had been caused by the broken femoral cross-pin. The fragment was removed and the symptoms resolved. Orthopaedic surgeons should be aware of this complication when using a bioabsorbable cross-pin for femoral fixation in ACL reconstruction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Agios Pavlos General Hospital, 161 Ethnikis Antistasis Street, Thessaloniki 55134, Greece.
authors.forename: Stergios G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Papastergiou
authors.forename: Nikolaos E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Koukoulias
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ziogas
authors.forename: Theofilos
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dimitriadis
authors.forename: Harilaos
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Voulgaropoulos