The effect of tibial slope in acute ACL-insufficient patients on concurrent meniscal tears.

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of the medial and lateral posterior tibial slope (MPTS, LPTS) in patients with acutely ruptured ACL on the menisci. It was hypothesized that medial and lateral meniscus lesions are seen more often with high PTS (posterior tibial slope). We hypothesized that in case of a high tibial slope a possible meniscus lesion is more often located in the posterior horn of the meniscus than in knees with a low tibial slope. We identified 537 patients with ACL insufficiency between 2012 and 2013. Of these, 71 patients were eligible for the study according to the study's criteria. PTS was measured via MRI and classified into two groups: >10° for high tibial slope and ≤10° for low tibial slope. Any meniscal lesion was documented during arthroscopic ACL reconstruction and evaluated regarding meniscal lesion patterns with high and low PTS, taking into account the type and the location of the tear (anterior horn, intermediate part and posterior horn). Statistical analysis for differences in meniscal lesion was performed using Chi-square tests and McNemar tests for dependent variables. The level of significance was set at p≤0.05. High PTS (MPTS and LPTS) was associated with a higher incidence of meniscal lesions with an odds ratio of 2.11, respectively, 3.44; however, no statistical significance was found. Among the total number of ACL-insufficient knees studied, the meniscal lesion spread more often to the posterior part in the group with a low PTS. In contrast, less damage of the posterior horn of the meniscus could be found in the group with a high PTS. High PTS seems to predetermine for meniscal lesion in an acute ACL-insufficient knee. More damage to the posterior part of the menisci could generally be seen but was not associated with a high PTS. There was no statistical significance to support the initial hypothesis. Further research is needed to find out if factors other than tibial slope are risk factors for meniscal lesion in acute ACL injury. IV.