A. Perissinotto’s research while affiliated with It-Robotics and other places

Twenty-nine children with fractures of the anterior tibial spine were reviewed from 3, 5 to 32 years after injury (average period of follow-up 12, 8 years). The aim was to assess long-term results regarding the residual articular function and stability. All patients were evaluated clinically and with the Lysholm and Tegner score. Eight of them were tested by KT 1000 Artrometer and Cybex 350. The overall functional results were quite good but four patients (13.7%) reported a subjective knee instability while a condition of objective laxity (positive anterior drawer and Lachman test) was found in eleven (37,9%). Lysholm and Tegner score were worse in most displaced fractures and in older children (over twelve). The results of strumentaI evaluation had evidenced that the fractured knees showed a statistically significant anterior laxity (p<0.05; sig level: 0 0182) and that the average laxity on the affected side was of 7 millimetres (s d.=1 82 mm) against 4.7 millimetres (s.d.=1 25 mm) on the other side. Only one patient had evident muscular weakness while five patients presented paradoxically greater muscular strength of the fractured limb (functional compensation). No degenerative changes or other pathological findings were found in the affected knee at the follow-up X-ray examination.