A Three-Dimensional Evaluation of EndoButton Displacement Direction After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in CT Image Using Tunnel Axis

Abstract

The goal of this study was to propose a threedimensional evaluation of the EndoButton displacement direction after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in the multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) image by using the tunnel axis. The proposed method was applied experimentally to six subjects. The result of the simulated experiment revealed that the proposed method could analyze EndoButton displacement direction satisfactorily because the error was less than that of the MDCT image resolution. The clinical experiment results revealed displacement relative to the tunnel between time-zero and the followup point. We conclude that the proposed method can quantitatively evaluate the EndoButton displacement direction from the raw MDCT image after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction; further, our findings suggest that the EndoButton was displaced relative to the tunnel between time-zero and the follow-up point.