Association of Increased Lateral Femoral Condylar Ratio With Lateral Meniscus Posterior Root Tear in Noncontact ACL Injury.

BACKGROUND: In the setting of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, lateral meniscus posterior root tears (LMPRTs) are less readily diagnosed on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Therefore, to predict LMPRTs in ACL injuries, it is necessary to understand the risk factors associated with them.

PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of lateral femoral condylar ratio (LFCR) with LMPRTs in ACL injuries. It was hypothesized that an increased LFCR would be associated with LMPRTs in noncontact ACL injuries.

STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS: Enrolled were consecutive patients who underwent primary acute (<6 weeks from injury) ACL reconstruction after noncontact injury and had LMPRT confirmed on preoperative MRI and arthroscopically (combined group; n = 62) as well as patients who underwent isolated acute ACL reconstruction (isolated group; n = 80) who were matched to the combined group by age, height, and body mass index (BMI). All patients underwent surgery between January 1999 and November 2021. LFCR and posterior tibial slope (PTS) were measured and compared between the isolated and combined groups. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was calculated to determine the cutoff for detecting increased risk of LMPRTs.

RESULTS: The demographic characteristics of the 2 groups did not differ significantly, nor did the PTS. The LFCR was a significant factor (odds ratio [OR], 1.23; P = .001) associated with LMPRT. Patient age, height, BMI, and PTS were not associated with LMPRT. The AUC (0.66; 95% CI, 0.57-0.75) for LFCR had a sensitivity of 39% and specificity of 90% to predict LMPRT. The calculated cutoff associated with an increased risk for LMPRT when compared with the isolated group was 67.0% (OR, 4.98; 95% CI, 2.10-11.79).

CONCLUSION: Increased LFCR was associated with the presence of LMPRTs in patients with acute ACL injuries. The LFCR may provide surgeons with additional information regarding the risk of having a concomitant LMPRT when planning ACL reconstructions.