title: Femoral and tibial tunnel position using a transtibial drilled anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction technique.
abstract: This study evaluates the position of the femoral tunnel, which is achieved using a transtibial, single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction technique. The radiographs of 50 consecutive, primary single-bundle ACL reconstructed knees using this technique were reviewed. The angle between the femoral tunnel and the apex of the intercondylar notch was recorded. The average angle from the 12-o'clock vertical position to the femoral tunnel was 49 degrees (range, 39 degrees-59.2 degrees; SD = 3.9), corresponding to the 10:20 position on a clock face for a right knee. These results demonstrate that it is technically possible to create an obliquely oriented single-bundle femoral tunnel at approximately the 10:20 position through a tibial tunnel angled approximately 60 degrees from the proximal tibial joint surface. This correlates to a femoral tunnel approximately midway between the anteromedial and posterolateral bundle origins of the ACL.
authors.affiliation: Division of Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Ill, USA.
authors.forename: John-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rue
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ghodadra
authors.forename: Paul B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Bernard R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Bach
mesh_terms: D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000601:surgery*; D005269:Femur / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D013977:Tibia / Q000601:surgery