Tibial and Femoral Bone Tunnel Position after Arthroscopic Reconstruction of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Aim: To assess the tibial and femoral bone tunnel position after arthroscopic reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament Study design: Retrospective study Place and duration: This Study was conducted at ZKS Catogary C Hospital Matta Swat Pakistan from January 2020 to Januray 2021. Methodology: In this study, total 52 patients were included. The tunnel position after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction was determined using a three-dimensional CT scan. SPSS software version 23 used to identify the relation between tunnel positions and ACL reconstruction outcomes. Results: The radiological evaluation indicated that the average length of the femoral tunnel is 43.75 ± 3.2 mm, and the tibial tunnel is 23 ± 4.6 mm. All the bones were anatomically positioned. The coronal and sagittal angles of the tibial and femoral tunnel were 24.7 ± 3.4; 53.2 ± 2.9 degrees and 28.7 ± 3.3; 42.6 ± 2.8 degrees respectively. The X- and Y-axis values of the femoral and tibial tunnel were 26.7 ± 3.8 mm; 43.6 ± 6.5 mm and 46.7 ± 2.8 mm; 32.2 ± 4.6 mm respectively. Conclusion: There was a significant positive correlation between the sagittal angle of the tibial tunnel to the medial axis and femoral tunnel to the Y-axis indicating that the tibial sagittal angle is a correspondent of the intra-articular femoral tunnel behind the resident’s ridge. In conclusion, these findings may lead to a better and safe surgical procedure with improved clinical outcomes in terms of knee kinematics and risk of complications. Keywords: femoral bone tunnel position, anterior cruciate ligament, arthroscopic reconstruction