title: Sagittal view of the tibial attachment of the anterior cruciate ligament on magnetic resonance imaging and the relationship between anterior cruciate ligament size and the physical characteristics of patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is necessary to create bone tunnels within the native footprint during anatomic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Predicting the size of the ACL preoperatively may be useful in order to determine the diameter of the bone tunnels preoperatively or during surgery. The tibial insertion site of the ACL includes a depressed area, the ACL fovea, which is generally observed in the sagittal view on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The purposes of this study were to measure the anteroposterior diameter of the ACL fovea in the sagittal view on MRI and to investigate its associations with the physical characteristics of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred patients (100 knees; 50 males and 50 females; mean age, 33 years) were included in this study. The anteroposterior diameter of the ACL fovea was measured in the sagittal view on MRI. The relationships between the diameter of the ACL fovea and physical characteristics including height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean diameter of the ACL fovea was 16.1 mm in male patients and 14.3 mm in female patients, which were comparable to the previously reported values. There were significant positive correlations between the diameter of the ACL fovea and height and weight, but not BMI. The number of knees in which the diameter of the ACL fovea was <13 mm was 14 (14 %), and females were more likely to have ACL fovea diameter <13 mm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study indicated that it is possible to predict the size of the ACL before surgery by measuring the diameter of the ACL fovea on MRI. Physical characteristics of patients correlated with the diameter of the ACL fovea. Especially in female patients, it is important to consider the size of the ACL preoperatively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Takatsuki Red Cross Hospital, 1-1-1 Abuno, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-1096, Japan, ichiba7264@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ichiba
authors.forename: Hitoji
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kido
authors.forename: Fumihito
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tokuyama
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Makuya
authors.forename: Kosaku
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D059549:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction / Q000379:methods*; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D001182:Arthroscopy / Q000379:methods; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013977:Tibia / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000601:surgery