Predictive effects of the intercondylar notch morphology on anterior cruciate ligament injury in males: A magnetic resonance imaging analysis

The effects of the intercondylar notch morphology on predicting anterior crucaite ligament (ACL) injury in males were unknown. We aimed to determine the risk factors of the intercondylar notch on ACL injury, and evaluate the predictive effects of the morphological parameters on ACL injury in males. Sixty-one patients with ACL injury and seventy-eight patients with intact ACLs were assigned to the case group and control group respectively. The notch width (NW), bicondylar width, notch width index (NWI), notch height (NH), notch cross-sectional area (CSA), notch angle (NA) and notch shape were obtained from the magnetic resonance images of male patients. Comparisons were performed between the case and control groups. Logistic regression model and the receiver operating characteristic curve were used to assess the predictive effects of these parameters on ACL injury. The NW, NWI, NH, CSA and NA in the case group were significantly smaller than those in the control group on the coronal magnetic resonance images. The NW and NWI were significantly smaller, while no significant differences of the NH and CSA were found between the 2 groups on the axial images. There was no significant difference in the notch shape between the 2 groups. The maximum value of area under the curve calculated by combining all relevant morphological parameters was 0.966. The ACL injury in males was associated with NW, NH, NWI, CSA, and NA. These were good indicators for predicting ACL injury in males.