Table 4.
Characteristics at Time of Screw Removal Surgerya
| Characteristic | Total | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Demographic and clinical | ||
| Sex | 45 | |
| Male | 9 (20) | |
| Female | 36 (80) | |
| Age at screw removal, y | 45 | |
| 14-16 | 12 (27) | |
| 17-18 | 14 (31) | |
| 19-24 | 19 (42) | |
| Mean (±SD) | 18.3 (±2.1) | |
| Injury to ACLR, d | 42 | |
| Mean (±SD) | 86.3 (±71.9) | |
| (range) | (10, 330) | |
| Time, ACLR to screw removal, y | 45 | |
| <2 | 22 (49) | |
| ≥2 | 23 (51) | |
| Weight, kg, mean (±SD) | 37 | 66.0 (±12.2) |
| BMI, kg/m2, mean (±SD) | 31 | 23.9 (±4.0) |
| Sport | 45 | |
| None | 1 (2) | |
| Soccer | 20 (44) | |
| Basketball | 7 (16) | |
| Lacrosse | 6 (13) | |
| Otherb | 11 (24) | |
| Duration of symptoms, mo | 42 | |
| 0-6 | 24 (57) | |
| 7-12 | 8 (19) | |
| >12 | 10 (24) | |
| Screw removal surgeonc | 45 | |
| A | 14 (31) | |
| B | 15 (33) | |
| C | 4 (9) | |
| D | 8 (18) | |
| Others (n = 3) | 4 (9) | |
| Surgical indications | 45 | |
| Painful screw | 42 (93) | |
| Arthrofibrosis | 1 (2) | |
| Locking | 1 (2) | |
| Partial graft tear | 1 (2) | |
| Procedures performed | ||
| Arthroscopyd | 45 | 21 (47) |
| Bone graft | 45 | 7 (16) |
| Intraoperative findings | ||
| Screw prominence with cystic inflammatory reaction | 45 | 44 (98) |
| Failure of fixation | 45 | 0 (0) |
| Screw appearance at removal | 45 | |
| Intact (did not resorb) | 22 (49) | |
| Degraded | 20 (44) | |
| Cracked | 3 (7) | |
| Intra-articular screw prominence | 45 | 3 (7) |
aData are expressed as No. of knees (%) unless otherwise specified. ACLR, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction; BMI, body mass index.
bFootball (n = 3), field hockey (3), softball (2), baseball (1), hockey (1), and cross-country/track (1).
cSame surgeon as ACL repair in all but 4 cases.
d21 of 21 with arthroscopy performed showed ACL intact.