Evaluation of posterior femoral condyle depth as an anatomical risk factor for anterior cruciate ligament injury among Egyptian population: a case–control study

Abstract

Background The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of posterior femoral condylar depth on risk of sustaining anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury among the Egyptian population. Patients and methods A total of 400 patients (200 ACL ruptured and 200 ACL intact) were included. Morphometric parameters were measured on knee lateral radiographs, with overlapping of the femoral condyles. Radiographic measurements included the posterior femoral condyle offset (PCO) and ratio. Results The PCO and ratio showed significant differences between both groups. The receiver-operating characteristic curve revealed that the PCO cutoff value of more than 67.8 was associated with increased ACL injury with 76% sensitivity and 74% specificity. Conclusions The data from our study demonstrated that an increase in posterior femoral condyle ratio was associated with an increased prevalence of ACL injuries in Egyptian population. However, further research is needed to determine the distal femur morphology in the Egyptian population and its effect on the risk of primary and secondary ACL injury. Level of evidence Level III, case–control study.