title: Quantitative assessment of patellar vascularity following bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft harvest for ACL reconstruction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent anatomic studies have suggested that the dominant arterial supply of the patella enters through the inferior pole. Based upon these findings, we hypothesized that bone-patellar tendon-bone graft harvest can significantly diminish patellar vascularity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine matched pair cadaveric knee specimens (mean age 47.4 years) were dissected and cannulated. A single knee was selected to undergo routine graft harvest, and the contralateral knee was left intact to serve as a control. Gadolinium was injected, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal enhancement was quantified to determine differences in uptake. Each matched pair was subsequently injected with a urethane polymer compound and dissected to correlate vessel disruption with MRI findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified two predominating patterns of vessel entry. In one pattern, the vessel entered the inferomedial aspect (five o'clock/right, seven o'clock/left) of the patella and was disrupted by graft harvest in 2/9 (22.2 %) pairs. In the second pattern, the vessel entered further medial (four o'clock/right, eight o'clock/left) and was not disrupted (7/9, 78.8 %). The mean decrease in gadolinium uptake following disruption of the predominant vessel measured 56.2 % (range 42.6-69.5 %) compared to an average decrease of 18.3 % (range 7.1-29.1 %) when the dominant arterial supply to the inferior pole remained intact (p < 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Medial entry of the predominant vessel precluded vessel disruption. Disruption of the dominant arterial supply can result in a significant decrease in patellar vascularity. Modification of graft harvest techniques and areas of surgical dissection should be explored to minimize vascular insult. Further correlation with clinical studies/outcomes is necessary to determine a potential association between vascular insult and anterior knee pain.
authors.affiliation: David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Ave, 76-143 CHS, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. kjjonesmd@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kristofer J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 E. 70th St, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
authors.forename: Lionel E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Lazaro
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 E. 70th St, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
authors.forename: Samuel A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 E. 70th St, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
authors.forename: Nadine C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Pardee
authors.affiliation: Citigroup Biomedical Imaging Center, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 516 E. 72nd St, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dyke
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 E. 70th St, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
authors.forename: Jo A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hannafin
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 E. 70th St, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
authors.forename: Russell F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 E. 70th St, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
authors.forename: Dean G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Lorich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D050376:Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Grafting / Q000379:methods*; D064594:Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Grafts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010329:Patella / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000637:transplantation; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous / Q000379:methods
keywords: ACL reconstruction; Anterior cruciate ligament; Bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft; Patella vascularity