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Combined knee joint geometry measurements provided more information on ACL injury risk
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Compared with individual measures, combinations of knee joint geometry measurements provided more information about the risk of noncontact ACL injury and showed differences between the aspects of geometry that best explained the relationship between knee geometry and the risk of injury between men and women, according to study results.
Researchers acquired MRI data from 88 first-time, noncontact, grade III ACL-injured patients and 88 uninjured matched-control patients and measured the geometry of the tibial plateau subchondral bone, articular cartilage and meniscus; geometry of the tibial spines; and size of the femoral intercondylar notch and ACL. Using multivariate conditional logistic regression, the researchers developed risk models for ACL injury in women and men separately.
Results showed the best-fitting model for women included width of the femoral notch at its anterior outlet and the posterior-inferior-directed slope of the lateral compartment articular cartilage surface. The millimeter decrease in notch width was independently associated with a 50% increase in risk of ACL injury, and a degree increase in slope was independently associated with a 32% increase in risk of ACL injury, according to study results.
The researchers found a model that included ACL volume and the lateral compartment posterior meniscus to subchondral bone wedge angle was most highly associated with risk of ACL injury for men. A 0.1-cm3 decrease in ACL volume was independently associated with a 43% increase in risk of ACL injury, and a degree decrease in meniscus wedge angle was independently associated with a 23% increase in risk. – by Casey Tingle
Disclosure: The researchers report support for the study was provided by the NIH NIAMS R01 AR050421, and MRI equipment was provided by DOE SC 000017.
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