Abstract
The Multicenter ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) Revision Study (MARS) group was developed
to investigate revision ACL reconstruction outcomes. An important part of this is
obtaining and reviewing radiographic studies. The goal for this radiographic analysis
is to establish radiographic findings for a large revision ACL cohort to allow comparison
with future studies. The study was designed as a cohort study. Various established
radiographic parameters were measured by three readers. These included sagittal and
coronal femoral and tibial tunnel position, joint space narrowing, and leg alignment.
Inter- and intraobserver comparisons were performed. Femoral sagittal position demonstrated
42% were more than 40% anterior to the posterior cortex. On the sagittal tibia tunnel
position, 49% demonstrated some impingement on full-extension lateral radiographs.
Limb alignment averaged 43% medial to the medial edge of the tibial plateau. On the
Rosenberg view (45-degree flexion view), the minimum joint space in the medial compartment
averaged 106% of the opposite knee, but it ranged down to a minimum of 4.6%. Lateral
compartment narrowing at its minimum on the Rosenberg view averaged 91.2% of the opposite
knee, but it ranged down to a minimum of 0.0%. On the coronal view, verticality as
measured by the angle from the center of the tibial tunnel aperture to the center
of the femoral tunnel aperture measured 15.8 degree ± 6.9% from vertical. This study
represents the radiographic findings in the largest revision ACL reconstruction series
ever assembled. Findings were generally consistent with those previously demonstrated
in the literature.
Keywords
anterior cruciate ligament - reconstruction - revision - radiographs
