Pubblicazioni

Autore di numerose pubblicazioni, Professore a Contratto presso l'Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele di Milano nei corsi di Medicina, Infermieristica e Fisioterapia.




Ha pubblicato articoli di valore scientifico nelle maggiori riviste internazionali, con coautori di rilievo sulle più importanti tematiche dell'Ortopedia e Traumatologia. La lista parziale delle pubblicazioni è consultabile cliccando sull'immagine a destra.

Articoli in Evidenza

Shape and size of the medial patellofemoral ligament for the best surgical reconstruction: a human cadaveric studyPurpose The aim of this study was to investigate the shape and the attachments of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) in cadaver specimens to determine an anatomical basis for the best MPFL reconstruction. Methods Twenty fresh-frozen knees were used. Dissection protocol implied performing dissections from within the knee joint. We investigated the shape and the attachments between the MPFL and the quadriceps tendon, the patellar and femur insertions, and all the other relationships with the medial soft tissues of the knee. Results The distal fibers of MPFL were interdigitated with the deep layer of the medial retinaculum. All isolated ligament had a sail-like shape with the patellar side bigger than the femoral side. The femoral insertion, distinct both from medial epicondyle and adductor tubercle, was located at 9.5 mm (range 4–22) distal and anterior respect to adductor tubercle and proximal and posterior to epicondyle. The medial third of the thickness of patella was involved in the insertion. The proximal third of the patella is always involved in the MPFL attachment; in 45 % of the cases, it was extended to the medial third and in one case, an extension at the distal third was found. Additionally in 35 % (7 cases), it extended to the quadriceps tendon and it were inconstantly attached at the vastus medialis obliques (VMO) tendon and at the vastus intermedius (VI) tendon in an aponeurotic structure. Conclusions The MPFL is a distinct structure that goes from patella to femur with a sail-like shape; its patellar insertion, that mostly occur via an aponeurosis tissue with VMO and VI, is at the proximal third of the patella but it may extend in some cases to the medial third patella or to the quadriceps tendon, or very rarely to the distal third of the patella. In the femoral side, the MPFL is inserted in its own site, in most cases distinct both from epicondyle and adductor tubercle, located on average at a 9.5 mm distance distally and anteriorly in respect to the adductor tubercle. Its lower margin was difficult to define. Given the importance of this structure, it must be reconstructed as anatomically as possible in its insertion and in its shape. Many attempts have been made to make functional reconstructions with less than excellent results.
Anatomy of the Medial Patello-Femoral Ligament: a systematic review of the last 20 years literatureBackground Although many studies have investigated the anatomy of the Medial Patello-Femoral Ligament (MPFL), some studies have even questioned its existence. In the last 20 years, there is a renewed interest on the role of the MPFL in patello-femoral instability. As a result, several studies have been published that describe the anatomy, function and possible surgical reconstruction of the MPFL. Despite the large amount of literature produced, there is still a lack of consensus on what is its real anatomy as there are currently no systematic reviews on this topic. Purposes Thus, the aim of this review is to systematically report the results in literature regarding in anatomical papers, the existence, size, insertion sites and relationships of this ligament with the other medial structures of the knee. Methods We have systematically analyzed anatomical studies currently available in literature between 1980 and December 2012. The search was carried out on Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar. We checked reference lists of articles, reviews and textbooks identified by the search strategy for other possible relevant studies. Results The outcomes examined are the presence of the ligament, its size (length, width, thickness), and its patellar and femoral insertions. A total of 312 cadaveric knees were included in the 17 studies; the MPFL was identified in 99 % of cases (309). Conclusions The consensus is that the MPFL is almost always present in the dissected knees. The size and insertions of the ligament demonstrate great variation between cadavers. Level of evidence Systematic review of anatomical study, Level 1.