title: Posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction by means of tibial tunnel: anatomical study on cadavers for tunnel positioning.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to determine the reference points for the exit of the tibial guidewire in relation to the posterior cortical bone of the tibia.
  
  
  METHODS
  sixteen knees from fresh cadavers were used for this study. Using a viewing device and a guide marked out in millimeters, three guidewires were passed through the tibia at 0, 10 and 15 mm distally in relation to the posterior crest of the tibia. Dissections were performed and the region of the center of the tibial insertion of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) was determined in each knee. The distances between the center of the tibial insertion of the PCL and the posterior tibial border (CB) and between the center of the tibial insertion of the PCL and wires 1, 2 and 3 (CW1, CW2 and CW3) were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  in the dissected knees, we found the center of the tibial insertion of the PCL at 1.09 ± 0.06 cm from the posterior tibial border. The distances between the wires 1, 2 and 3 and the center of the tibial insertion of the PCL were respectively 1.01 ± 0.08, 0.09 ± 0.05 and 0.5 ± 0.05 cm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the guidewire exit point 10 mm distal in relation to the posterior crest of the tibia was the best position for attempting to reproduce the anatomical center of the PCL.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antônio Altenor Bessa
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: de Queiroz
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Janovsky
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos Eduardo
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: da Silveira Franciozi
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leonardo Addêo
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Geraldo Sérgio Mello
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Granata Junior
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos Vinicius Malheiros
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Luzo
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Moises
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cohen
keywords: Cadaver; Posterior cruciate ligament; Reconstruction