School of Medicine and Health Sciences Poster Presentations
Anterior Tibial Subluxation following Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tears Increases with Time
Poster Number
166
Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
3-2016
Abstract
Introduction: A complete ACL tear results in the loss of the primary restraint to anterior tibial subluxation. The extent to which tibiofemoral subluxation develops over time in the ACL-deficient knee is not well understood.
Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we assessed the anterior subluxation of the tibia relative to the femur using MRI studies of 74 patients diagnosed with complete ACL tears in both the medial and lateral compartments. The definition of chronicity was set at four months from injury. Standard t-tests with assumed equal variances were used to compare the means of the acute (≤4 months) and chronic (>4 months) populations.
Results: The average medial compartment tibial subluxations among the acute and chronic groups were 0.06 cm and 0.37 cm, respectively (p=0.002). The average lateral compartment tibial subluxations among the acute and chronic groups were 0.25 cm and 0.50 cm, respectively (p=0.016). The average overall tibial subluxations among the acute and chronic groups were 0.16 cm and 0.44 cm, respectively (p=0.001).
Conclusion: Anterior tibial subluxation is greater among patients with chronic ACL injuries than among those with acute ACL injuries, the implications of which may favor earlier surgical intervention.
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Open Access
1
Anterior Tibial Subluxation following Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tears Increases with Time
Introduction: A complete ACL tear results in the loss of the primary restraint to anterior tibial subluxation. The extent to which tibiofemoral subluxation develops over time in the ACL-deficient knee is not well understood.
Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we assessed the anterior subluxation of the tibia relative to the femur using MRI studies of 74 patients diagnosed with complete ACL tears in both the medial and lateral compartments. The definition of chronicity was set at four months from injury. Standard t-tests with assumed equal variances were used to compare the means of the acute (≤4 months) and chronic (>4 months) populations.
Results: The average medial compartment tibial subluxations among the acute and chronic groups were 0.06 cm and 0.37 cm, respectively (p=0.002). The average lateral compartment tibial subluxations among the acute and chronic groups were 0.25 cm and 0.50 cm, respectively (p=0.016). The average overall tibial subluxations among the acute and chronic groups were 0.16 cm and 0.44 cm, respectively (p=0.001).
Conclusion: Anterior tibial subluxation is greater among patients with chronic ACL injuries than among those with acute ACL injuries, the implications of which may favor earlier surgical intervention.
Comments
Presented at: GW Research Days 2016