Relationship Between the Risk of Suffering a First-Time Noncontact ACL Injury and Geometry of the Femoral Notch and ACL A Prospective Cohort Study With a Nested Case-Control Analysis

Background:The morphometric characteristics of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the femoral intercondylar notch within which it resides have been implicated as risk factors for injuries to this important stabilizer of the knee. Prior research has produced equivocal results with differing methodologies, and consequently, it is unclear how these characteristics affect the injury risk in male and female patients.Hypothesis:The morphometric characteristics of the ACL and femoral intercondylar notch are individually and independently associated with the risk of suffering a noncontact ACL injury, and these relationships are different in male and female patients.Study Design:Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:Magnetic resonance imaging scans of the bilateral knees were obtained on 88 case-control pairs (27 male, 61 female) matched for age, sex, and participation on the same sports team. Patients had suffered a grade III, first-time, noncontact ACL tear. The femoral notch width at 4 location...