Short-Term Clinical Evaluation of Tibial Tunnel Angle and Position in Anatomical Anterior Cruciate Ligament...

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the angle and position of the tibial tunnel in the coronal and sagittal planes on short-term postoperative clinical outcomes following arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 40 patients who underwent anatomical ACLR between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2023 and had a follow-up period of at least 4 months. The angle of the tibial tunnel on the AP radiograph and both the angle and anteroposterior position on the lateral radiograph were measured. Clinical evaluations were conducted using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, and the Lysholm Knee Score, along with measurements of knee flexion and extension, to assess short-term outcomes at 1, 2, and 4 months postoperatively. Results: In patients whose tibial tunnels were positioned at 40-50° in the coronal plane, Lysholm scores were significantly higher at the 2nd and 4th months compared to other angles. In the sagittal plane, a tunnel angle between 30° and 40° was associated with significantly increased IKDC scores at both the 2nd and 4th months. Additionally, tunnels with an anterior-posterior ratio of 0.4-0.6 in the sagittal plane were associated with limitations in flexion and extension at the 4th month. There was no significant difference in VAS scores between the groups. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that optimizing the tibial tunnel angle in both the coronal and sagittal planes may play a crucial role in early postoperative knee function. Specifically, tibial tunnels placed between 40° and 50° in the coronal plane and 30° and 40° in the sagittal plane were associated with higher functional scores. However, tunnels positioned with an anterior-posterior ratio of 0.4 to 0.6 were linked to greater joint motion limitation. These findings indicate that angular and positional optimization of the tibial tunnel may have contributed to improved functional recovery following ACL reconstruction.