Journal
Below you will find research papers written by Dr. Porter and published in peer reviewed medical journals. These papers are relevant to Dr. Porter’s sub-specialist area of sports orthopaedic surgery.
Patients with symptomatic unstable meniscal tears selected arthroscopy or physiotherapy as their treatment. They were followed up for 2 years and evaluated using patient scored outcomes (PSOs). This research has been published in the journal "Sports Health" . In this study Dr. Porter found that patients with unstable irreparable meniscal tears, had better clinical outcomes when they underwent a knee arthroscopy, compared to those treated without surgery and who had physiotherapy alone. Click on "read more" and then the link to read the full paper.
This RCT found that the use of the modified ITB tenodesis (MITBT), rather than lateral extra-capsular tenodesis (LET), to augment an anatomical ACL reconstruction resulted in a lower risk of recurrence and better patient outcomes in those patients with a residual instability.
This large study demonstrated that physical examination was as accurate as MRI for diagnosing meniscal tears, and that many MRIs add un-necessary expense to the patient management.
Dr. Porter's research has shown that approximately 10% of patients who sustain an ACL rupture have more extensive damage, and these patients have an improved outcome if an additional procedure (called the modified ITB tenodesis, or MITB) is performed with the ACL reconstruction. Most importantly the addition of MITB reduces the risk of recurrence and improves clinical outcome.
This 5-year level-1 evidence study was published in the Americal Journal of Sports Medicine. It was a randomized controlled trial that demonstrated a better clinical outcome, and lower recurrence rate, relative to the standard LCL reconstruction for patients with lateral ligament instability of the ankle. Dr. Porter designed the technique described, but has no vested financial interest in the technique.
Published in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, 2016 This study used computer navigation to demonstrates that the use of aperture fixation (that is screw fixation) on the femoral side of an ACL reconstruction, using the patient's own hamstring graft, improves the function of the graft relative to the use of suspensory fixation, such as cortical button.
Published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery, 2014. This RCT demonstrated that an accelerated rehabilitation protocol following surgical repair of a ruptured TA, using high-strength suture material with locking sutures, results in more accurate restoration of tendon length and a more rapid return to running. Click on the link to read the full article.
Study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine in 2018. This paper confirms the efficacy of a modification of the ITB tenodesis procedure, designed by Dr. Porter, to improve the control of the pivot shift movement, in patients undergoing a revision ACL reconstruction. This is part of on-going research into this particular anterolateral soft tissue augmentation procedure.
Study published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine in 2014. This paper confirms that it is possible to correct the pivot shift phenomenon, indicative of ACL rupture, using an appropriately position single bundle ACL reconstruction using the patient's own hamstring graft.
Published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery, 2014. This research demonstrated that the use of LARS augmentation of lateral ligament repair, results in a clinically superior outcome, relative to the use of the standard modified Brostrom-Gould procedure, at two year follow-up. This randomised controlled trial is on-going.