Differences of Femoral Intercondylar Notch on MRI: Between Normal and Anterior Cruciate Ligamen Injured Knee

Yoo, Moon Jib; Seo, Hyun Seok

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the possible relationship between femoral intercondylar notch stenosis and ACL injury according to gender with retrospective analysis of knee MRI.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study was based on 260 cases of knee MRI (except the cases of combined colleteral ligaments injury and fracture) between the ages of 18 and 50 years from March 1995 to March 2001. All cases were divided into three groups : group 1 consisted of knees 94 cases that were nor-mal, group 2 consisted of knees from 72 cases that had a contact ACL injury, group 3 consisted of knees from 92 cases that had a non contact ACL injury. We measured the notch height, notch width at the point of 1/3, 2/3 of notch height, notch angle, lateral angle with coronal section. Each measurements of three groups were compared with gender and for statistical significance using the ANOVA test.
RESULTS
The mean notch angle was 48.2 +/-6.7 degrees for men and 47.1 +/-1.2 degrees for women in group 1, 48.7 +/- 6.5 degrees for men and 48.7 +/-1.2 degrees for women in group 2, 47.4 +/-6.5 degrees for men and 47.3 +/-1.5 degrees for women in group 3. The mean notch width at the point of 1/3, 2/3of notch height were 18.6 +/-2.4 mm, 15.3 +/-2.4 mm for men and 16.9 +/-2.4 mm, 14.2 +/-2.4 mm for women in group 1, 18.2 +/-2.4 mm, 15.2 +/-2.4 mm for men and 16.7 +/-2.4 mm, 13.9 +/-2.4 mm for women in group 2, 16.8 +/-2.4 mm, 13.9 +/-2.4 mm for men and 15.7 +/-2.4 mm, 13.4 +/-2.4 mm for women in group 3. Statistically significant differences were found between sexes in group 3 in regard to notch width at the point of 1/3, 2/3 of notch height, notch angle(<0.05).
CONCLUSION
Stenosis of femoral intercondylar notch may be a factor of ACL injury. So preoperative measurement of femoral intercondylar notch may be necessary to determine the amount of notchplasty degree in ACL reconstruction.