Bone Morphological Characteristics as Risk Factors for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: Comparison Between Contact and Noncontact Injury

Abstract

Background: Altered bone morphologies are considered risk factors for noncontact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Purpose/Hypothesis: This study aimed to investigate bone morphological characteristics as risk factors for ACL tears in contact injuries and compare these factors with those for noncontact ACL injuries. We hypothesized that altered bone morphologies would also be risk factors for contact ACL injury. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Enrolled were patients who underwent primary ACL reconstructions between January 2000 and December 2021 within 6 weeks after injury. Patients in the ACL group were classified according to injury mechanism (contact vs noncontact). During the same period, a control group of patients matched by age, height, and body mass index to the ACL group was selected. The lateral femoral condylar ratio (LFCR), notch width index (NWI), and lateral posterior tibial slope (PTS) were measured. Measured parameters were compared between the control, contact, and noncontact groups using analysis of variance. Results: There were 86 patients in the control group, 102 patients in the contact ACL group, and 105 patients in the noncontact ACL group. The demographic characteristics of the 3 groups did not differ significantly. The contact group had significantly higher LFCRs and lower NWIs compared with the control group ( P < .001 and P = .001, respectively). The noncontact group had significantly higher LFCRs and PTSs and lower NWIs compared with the control group ( P = .031; P < .001; and P < .001, respectively). The noncontact group had significantly higher PTSs and lower NWIs compared with the contact group ( P = .003 and P =.014, respectively). In the contact group, the LFCR, PTS, and NWI were significant risk factors for ACL tears (odds ratio [OR], 1.25 [ P < .001]; OR, 1.16 [ P = .008]; and OR, 1.27 [ P = .001], respectively), and in the noncontact group, the PTS and NWI were significant risk factors for ACL tears (OR, 1.20 [ P < .001]; OR, 1.59 [ P < .001], respectively). Conclusion: Altered bone morphological characteristics of the knee were found to be risk factors for ACL tears in contact injuries as well as noncontact injuries. Altered morphology has a more significant effect in noncontact ACL injuries.