Diagnostic Accuracy of Lever Sign Test in Acute, Chronic, and Postreconstructive ACL Injuries

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of lever sign test in acute, chronic, and postreconstructive ACL injuries. METHODS: In total, 78 patients (69 male, 9 female) were subjected to clinical instability tests including Lachman, anterior drawer, pivot shift, and lever sign when an injury of the ACL was suspected. All tests were performed bilaterally in all patients in acute, chronic period and patients who underwent surgery after the anaesthesia and after the reconstruction at the last follow-up by two senior orthopaedic surgeons. MRI was taken from all patients and MRI image was taken as the reference test when evaluating the accuracy of the tests. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 26.2±6.4 years (range, 17-44 years). Sensitivity and accuracy values of the Lachman, anterior drawer, pivot shift, and lever tests in the acute phase were calculated as 80.6%, 77.4%, 51.6%, 91.9% and 76.9%, 75.6%, 60.3%, 92.3%, respectively, and in the chronic (preanaesthesia) phase were calculated as 83.9%, 79.0%, 56.5%, 91.9% and 80.8%, 78.2%, 64.1%, 92.3%, respectively. Lachman, anterior drawer, pivot shift, and lever sign Acute's significant [AUC: 0.716, 0.731, 0.727, 0.928, respectively] activity were observed in the prediction of ACL rupture in MRI. CONCLUSION: An ideal test to diagnose the integrity of the ACL should be easy to perform and reproducible with high sensitivity and specificity. From this perspective, the lever test seems to be a good test for clinicians in acute, chronic and postreconstructive ACL injuries.