Anterior Cruciate Ligament Graft Tunnel Placement and Graft Angle Are Primary Determinants of Internal Knee Mechanics After Reconstructive Surgery

Abstract

Early-onset osteoarthritis from altered cartilage loading after ACLR is common. This study shows that postoperative cartilage loading is sensitive to graft angle. Therefore, variability in graft tunnel placement resulting in small deviations from the anatomic ACL angle might contribute to the elevated risk of osteoarthritis after ACLR.