Research Of Correlation Between The Anatomical Shape Of Femoral Intercondylar Notch And Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

Objective：Our research aimed at exploring the corelation between the anatomical shape offemoral intercondylar notch and anterior cruciate ligament(ACL) injury. Theseresults will provide clinical guidances on assessment of ACL injury risk, help toformulate surgery programs and predict the efficacy of the patients who have ACLinjury after surgery.Methods：In this case-control study, we collected the clinical data of115patients withknee sports injury in our department between January2012and August2013. Allpatients were explorated by knee arthroscopic to examine whether they have anteriorcruciate ligament injury or not and accepted appropriate treatment in accordancewith the injuries. Patients were divided into two groups according to the results ofexploratory knee arthroscopy, Case group: Patients who had anterior cruciateligament injury clearly diagnosis by arthroscopic exploration, with or withoutmeniscus or cartilage injury; control group: Patients who had no anterior cruciateligament injury confirmed by arthroscopic exploration, only with meniscus orcartilage damage. We used magnetic resonance imaging(NMRI) technology to scanthe knee joint, and collected the morphological parameters relevant to femoralintercondylar notch. Intercondylar width(ICW), epicondyle width(EW) andintercondylar height (ICH) were measured, then the notch width index(NWI) and thenotch shape index(NSI) were calculated. Then analyzed the differences ofmorphological parameters of femoral intercondylar notch between the two groupsand assessed the correlation between the anatomical shape of femoral intercondylarnotch and anterior cruciate ligament injury.Results：The NMRI information and morphological parameters associated to femoralintercondylar notch from the two groups were collected completely. Intercondylar width: the average of case group was (13.22+1.41)mm, the average of control groupwas (16.30+1.99)mm, there was statistically statistically significant differencebetween the two groups (t=9.74,P<0.001). While, there was a negative correlationbetween the intercondylar width and anterior cruciate ligament injury (r=-0.68,P<0.001). Epicondylar width: the average of case group was (67.61+6.09)mm, theaverage of control group is (68.17+6.40)mm, there was no statistically significantdifference between the two groups (t=0.48, P=0.62) and no correlation between theepicondylar width and anterior cruciate ligament injury (r=-0.05, P=0.52).Intercondylar height: the average of case group was (19.95+2.20)mm, the average ofcontrol group was (20.45+2.56)mm, there was no statistical significant differencebetween the two groups (t=1.14,P=0.25),no correlation between the intercondylarheight and anterior cruciate ligament injury (r=-0.08,P=0.38). Notch width index:the average of case group was0.19+0.01, the average of control group was0.23+0.01, there was statistically significant difference between the two groups(t=17.18,P<0.001), there was a negative correlation between the notch width indexand anterior cruciate ligament injury (r=-0.84,P<0.001). Notch shape index: casegroup average0.64+0.03, the control group average0.79+0.02, there wasstatistically significant difference between the two groups (t=139.54, P<0.001), therewas a negative correlation between the notch shape index and anterior cruciateligament injury (r=-0.86, P<0.001).Conclusions:The stenosis of femoral intercondylar notch and the morphological ofintercondylar notch changes caused by stenosis are the important anatomical factorsof anterior cruciate ligament injury.