Is the Pie-Crusting Technique Safe for MCL Release in Varus Deformity Correction in Total Knee Arthroplasty?

Established for lateral release in TKA, the pie-crusting technique has not been studied for the medial collateral ligament (MCL). In cadaveric knees the MCL was release with a pie-crusting technique in one and traditional technique in the contralateral knee. Along with a control group, each MCL was subjected to mechanical testing. The stiffness, force and stress required to cause ligament elongation were less in the pie-crusting group (p < 0.05) compared to the control group, but were not statistically different than the traditional group. The pie-crusting group demonstrated a characteristic “stair-step” failure mode at the joint line, whereas the traditional group failed elastically at the tibial insertion. MCL pie-crusting is likely technique dependent since failure occurs within the ligament itself and further study is warranted.