The predictive value of radiographs in the evaluation of unilateral and bilateral anterior cruciate ligament injuries.

A review of 250 cases of surgical reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament identified 24 patients with bilateral complete tears of the anterior cruciate ligament. Twenty of these patients had previous reconstruction of one anterior cruciate ligament before rupture of the opposite ligament. Twelve injuries occurred during the same activity that was responsible for the initial opposite injury. The average time between surgical reconstruction and rupture of the opposite ligament was 29.3 months (range, 3 to 103). No significant demographic differences existed between patients with unilateral or bilateral ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament. Standardized measurements of intercondylar notch height and width and medial and lateral femoral condyle height and width were performed on routine notchview height and width were performed on routine notchview radiographs of 31 knees of patients with bilateral injuries, 30 with unilateral injury, and 30 with no anterior cruciate ligament injury. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences between the three groups when comparing absolute measures or any of eight mathematical ratios calculated from these measurements. We concluded that measurements of the intercondylar notch made from radiographs may not be reliable predictors of injury to the anterior cruciate ligament. We found no significant clinical or demographic differences between patients with unilateral or bilateral complete ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament.