ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study aims to compare variables such as medial posterior tibial slope, lateral posterior tibial slope, medial tibial plateau depth calculated by preoperative MRI, and posterior tibial slope calculated by lateral knee X-ray on randomly selected patients with ACL injuries to a control group of patients without the injury. The secondary aim is to determine the critical value of these parameters and ascertain whether they can be used as a screening tool to identify at-risk individuals. METHODS: Study participants included 426 subjects with noncontact knee injuries. Using stratified systematic random sampling, they were randomly divided into two equal groups of sixty, one for patients with ACL tears, and the other for those with ACL that was intact based on clinical and MRI findings. Based on the blinded assessment, MPTS, LPTS, MTPD, and PTS were assessed in MRI and lateral knee X-ray (PTS only), and the results were compared between groups using appropriate statistical models. RESULTS: There were higher MPTS, LPTS, and PTS scores in the ACL tear group when compared to the control group (p < 0.01), while MTPD was lower when compared to the control group (p > 0.05). ROC analysis for predicting ACL tear revealed an area under the curve for MPTS, LPTS, PTS, and MTPD as 0.942, 0.907, 0.967, and 0.878, respectively. The critical angle for MPTS, LTPS, PTS and MTPD was 8.25°,6.75°,8.5° and 2.25 mm, respectively, which has sensitivity of 91.0%, 86.7%, 93.3% and 80%; specificity of 86.7%, 78.3%, 90.0% and 71.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Medial posterior tibial slope, lateral posterior tibial slope, and posterior tibial slope were significantly higher in individuals in the ACL tear group but there was no significant difference in medial tibial plateau depth. MPTS, LPTS, and PTS are better predictors of identifying at-risk individuals predisposed to ACL injury than MTPD.
