Abstract
Background
Studies have shown a significant association between the radiographically measured lateral femoral condyle ratio (LFCR) and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. However, it is unclear whether the the LFCR measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is associated with risk of noncontact ACL injury.
Objective
1 To investigate the effect of the LFCR on the risk of noncontact ACL injury by MRI. 2 To investigate the association of the LFCR measured by MRI with multiple bone morphological risk factors and evaluate the most sensitive risk predictors of noncontact ACL injury.
Methods
A total of 116 patients, including 58 subjects with noncontact ACL injury and 58 age-matched and sex-matched controls with only meniscus injury, were included in this retrospective case-control study. The LFCR, lateral tibial slope (LTS), lateral tibial height (LTH), medial tibial slope (MTS), and medial tibial depth (MTD) were measured on MRI. The differences in each index between the two groups were compared, and risk factors were screened by single-factor logistic regression analysis. Indicators with P values <0.1 were included in the logistic regression equation. The critical values and areas under the curve (AUCs) of independent risk factors were determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Finally, the diagnostic performance of each risk factor was evaluated by the Z-test.
Results
A total of 116 patients who met the inclusion criteria were included in the final analysis (58 cases in the noncontact ACL injury group and 58 cases in the control group). Patients with noncontact ACL injury had a higher femoral LFCR (63.5±2.7%) than patients with simple meniscus tear. Among all the risk factors for ACL injury, the AUC for the LFCR was the largest, at 0.81 (95% CI, 0.73-0.88), and when the critical value was 61.35%, the sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of ACL injury were 79% and 67%, respectively. Combined with the LTH (> 2.35 mm), the diagnostic performance was improved. The AUC was 0.85 (95% CI, 0.78-0.92), the sensitivity was 0.83, and the specificity was 0.76
Conclusion
This study shows that an increased LFCR is related to an increased risk of noncontact ACL injury by MRI. The LFCR and LTH are the most sensitive risk factors for noncontact ACL injury and may help clinicians identify individuals prone to ACL injury, allowing prevention and intervention measures to be applied.
An avulsion fracture of the anterior cruciate ligament attachment to the lateral femoral condyle in an elderly patient: a rare finding
