Does Tibial Plateau Slope and Depth Influence ACL Strain In Vivo?

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic biomechanics
• Sports medicine
• Anatomy

Background:

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur when the tibia moves forward relative to the femur.
• Tibial plateau shape, specifically steep lateral and shallow medial slopes, is theorized as a risk factor for ACL injury.
• Understanding how joint morphology affects knee loading is crucial for injury prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between tibial plateau slope and depth and peak ACL strain during a single-leg jump.
• To test the hypothesis that tibial plateau morphology correlates with ACL strain.
• To evaluate potential risk factors for ACL injury related to knee joint anatomy.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive laboratory study involving 17 healthy participants.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and high-speed biplanar radiography were used to measure peak ACL strain.
• Orthopaedic surgeons measured medial and lateral tibial plateau slopes and medial plateau depth from MRI scans.

Main Results:

• High reliability was found for tibial plateau measurements (ICC: 0.59–0.97).
• No significant correlations were identified between peak ACL strain and tibial plateau slope or depth.
• These findings did not support the hypothesis linking tibial plateau morphology to ACL strain in this cohort.

Conclusions:

• In healthy individuals, tibial plateau slope and depth did not correlate with peak ACL strain during a single-leg jump.
• Current findings suggest these specific tibial plateau features may not be direct predictors of ACL rupture risk.
• Further research may explore interactions between tibial morphology and other factors or extreme anatomical variations in ACL injury risk.