Morphologic Finding of the Posterior Cruciate Ligament on Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Tear of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the morphologic change of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear group and control group by the quantitative analysis. The study groups of patients were; acute ACL tear group (21 patients), chronic ACL tear group (31 patients), and meniscus tear group (20 patients) that undertaken partial meniscectomy. To express curved shape of the PCL quantitatively, the authors made a line (basal line) between the femoral attachment and tib- ial attachment of the PCL and decided the point (apex) that was located most far away from the base line. And the authors made a line (line 1) between the femoral attachment and the apex of the PCL, another line (line 2) between the tibial attachment and the apex of the PCL, and quartered the base line; first quartile, Hl, second quartile, H2, and third quartile, H3. The authors measured the each angle between basal line and line 1 (angle a), between basal line and line 2 (angle b), each height of the PCL at each quartile (Hl, H2, H3) and at the apex of the PCL on the basal line (H4). Three groups were compared and examined which factor was able to decide whether the ACL was ruptured or nnt. Angle a was significantly higher in chronic ACL tear group than acute ACL tear group and meniscus tear group. In conclusion, the PCL of sigmoid or curled up shape is a more constant finding of chronic ACI tear than acute ACL tear.