Posterior Tibial Slope in Patients Undergoing Bilateral Versus Unilateral ACL Reconstruction: MRI and Radiographic Analyses

Abstract

Background: An increased posterior tibial slope (PTS) is a risk factor for primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears and graft failure, but the PTS has not been well-defined in those who have experienced bilateral ACL injuries. Purpose: The primary aim was to compare the PTS, as well as the rate of an elevated PTS (>12° on lateral radiography; >7° on magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]), between patients who have undergone bilateral ACL reconstruction (ACLR) versus unilateral ACLR. A secondary purpose was to examine whether these associations remained consistent on both plain radiography and MRI. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: We retrospectively identified patients who underwent primary ACLR at our institution from the years 2012 to 2020. Patients who underwent nonsimultaneous bilateral ACLR (n = 53) were matched to those who underwent unilateral ACLR (n = 53) by age, sex, and body mass index. Exclusion criteria were rotated lateral radiographs, MRI scans of inadequate quality, and concomitant ligament injuries or fractures. Those who had undergone unilateral ACLR with <5-year follow-up were further excluded. There were 3 blinded readers who measured the PTS on lateral radiographs, while the medial PTS (MPTS) and lateral PTS (LPTS) were measured on MRI scans. Bivariate regression was performed to determine the correlation between radiographic and MRI measurements. Results: The PTS on radiography (11.26° vs 10.13°, respectively; P = .044) and the LPTS on MRI (7.32° vs 6.08°, respectively; P = .012) in the bilateral ACLR group were significantly greater than those in the unilateral ACLR group but not the MPTS on MRI (4.55° vs 4.17°, respectively; P = .590). The percentage of patients in the bilateral group with a radiographic PTS >12° was 41.0% compared with 13.2% in the unilateral group ( P = .012). The bilateral group had a significantly higher rate of an LPTS >7° compared with the unilateral group (53.8% vs 32.1%, respectively; P = .016) but not for an MPTS >7° ( P = .190). On MRI, the LPTS (6.90°± 2.73°) was significantly greater than the MPTS (4.41°± 2.92°) ( P < .001). There was a weak correlation between MPTS and radiographic PTS measurements ( R = 0.24; P = .021), but LPTS and radiographic PTS measurements were not significantly correlated ( R = 0.03; P = .810). Conclusion: Patients who underwent bilateral ACLR had a significantly greater PTS on radiography and a significantly greater LPTS on MRI compared with those who underwent unilateral ACLR. The rate of a radiographic PTS >12° was 2.4 times greater among patients undergoing bilateral ACLR compared with those undergoing unilateral ACLR. PTS measurements on radiography demonstrated a weak to negligible correlation with PTS measurements on MRI, suggesting that future normative PTS values should be reported specific to the imaging modality.