Decreased Posterior Tibial Slope Does Not Affect Postoperative Posterior Knee Laxity After Double-Bundle Posterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Abstract

Background:

Recent clinical studies identified sagittal plane posterior tibial slope as a risk factor for increased postoperative laxity after single-bundle posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (PCLR).

Purpose/Hypothesis:

To retrospectively compare the degree of posterior tibial slope and its effect on posterior tibial translation (PTT) after double-bundle (DB) PCLR. Our null hypothesis was that preoperative tibial slope would not be associated with graft laxity.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Patients who underwent DB PCLR between 2010 and 2017 by a single surgeon were retrospectively analyzed. Measurements of posterior tibial slope were performed on lateral radiographs, and PTT was measured with pre- and postoperative kneeling stress radiographs. Simple and multiple linear regression was performed to estimate the unadjusted and adjusted effect of tibial slope on postoperative graft laxity, respectively.

Results:

A total of 103 patients with posterior cruciate ligament tears and subsequent reconstructions were included. There was a significant reduction of the mean ± SD side-to-side difference in PTT between stress radiographs (preoperative, 10.6 ± 2.7 mm; postoperative, 1.5 ± 2.6 mm; mean difference, 9.1 mm; 95% CI, 8.4-9.8; P < .001). Linear regression analysis revealed no significant correlation between preoperative posterior tibial slope and the amount of side-to-side difference in PTT on postoperative stress radiographs obtained at a mean 18.5 months (R = −0.115, P = .249). Combined ligament injury (beta = −1.01; 95% CI, −2.00 to −0.01; P = .047) was a significant independent predictor of decreased postoperative side-to-side difference in PTT.

Conclusion:

Graft laxity, determined by PTT in posterior kneeling stress radiographs, was not influenced by decreased posterior tibial slope after DB PCLRs. The observed results in the current study support the use of DB PCLR. Future studies should be conducted to compare the effect of tibial slope after SB PCLR and DB PCLR at long-term follow-up.