This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
ACL, femoral notch characteristics may predict noncontact ACL injury risk
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
ACL volume and features of the femoral notch were shown to be significant predictors of noncontact ACL injuries, according to study results.
In a case-control study, researchers reviewed bilateral knee MRIs for 88 control-matched pairs based on age, sex and participation on the same sports team. Patients included in the study had sustained a grade III, first-time, noncontact ACL tear.
Femoral notch volume and width at four locations, bony ridge thickness at the anteromedial outlet of the femoral notch, and ACL volume and cross-sectional area were all noted. Odds ratio (OR) was determined for any significant predictor of ACL injury.
Lower ACL volume (OR: 0.829), smaller femoral notch width (OR: 0.7) and greater bony ridge thickness (OR: 1.614) were determined to be significant predictors of noncontact ACL injury.
In analyzing men and women separately, ACL volume was observed to be more strongly linked to ACL injuries in male patients, whereas femoral notch ridge was potentially more strongly associated with risk of injury in women. However, body-weight adjusted statistical analyses increased the association between ACL volume and injury risk in female patients, according to the researchers.
Disclosure: This research was supported by National Institutes of Health grant R01AR05421 and Department of Energy grant SC 0001753.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts