App-based analysis of the femoral tunnel position in ACL reconstruction using the quadrant method

TY - JOUR

T1 - App-based analysis of the femoral tunnel position in ACL reconstruction using the quadrant method

AU - Mueller, Maximilian M

AU - Tenfelde, Oliver

AU - Hinz, Nico

AU - Pagenstert, Geert

AU - Frosch, Karl-Heinz

AU - Hoeher, Juergen

AU - Akoto, Ralph

N1 - © 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

PY - 2024/7

Y1 - 2024/7

N2 - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the intra- and interobserver variability of an app-based analysis of the femoral tunnel position using the quadrant method in primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 12/2020 und 12/2021 50 patients who underwent primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction were included in this retrospective study. Intraoperative strictly lateral fluoroscopic images of the knee with marked femoral tunnel were analyzed by four observers using the quadrant method. For retest reliability analysis, measurements were repeated once by 2 observers after 4 weeks.RESULTS: The femoral tunnel position of all included patients averaged 27.86% in the depth relation and 15.61% in the height relation. Statistical analysis showed an almost perfect intra- and interobserver reliability in the depth and height relation. The ICC was 0.92 in the depth relation and 0.84 in the height relation. The Pearson's correlation coefficient in the depth and height relation of observer 1 (0.94/0.81) was only slightly different from the Pearson's correlation coefficient of observer 2 (0.92/0.85). The app-based tunnel analysis took on average 59 ± 16 s per measurement.CONCLUSION: The femoral tunnel analysis with the app-based quadrant method has an almost perfect intra- and interobserver reliability. By smartphone camera, a fast and highly accurate, if necessary also intraoperative, control of the tunnel position can be performed.LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3-diagnostic retrospective cohort study.

AB - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the intra- and interobserver variability of an app-based analysis of the femoral tunnel position using the quadrant method in primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 12/2020 und 12/2021 50 patients who underwent primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction were included in this retrospective study. Intraoperative strictly lateral fluoroscopic images of the knee with marked femoral tunnel were analyzed by four observers using the quadrant method. For retest reliability analysis, measurements were repeated once by 2 observers after 4 weeks.RESULTS: The femoral tunnel position of all included patients averaged 27.86% in the depth relation and 15.61% in the height relation. Statistical analysis showed an almost perfect intra- and interobserver reliability in the depth and height relation. The ICC was 0.92 in the depth relation and 0.84 in the height relation. The Pearson's correlation coefficient in the depth and height relation of observer 1 (0.94/0.81) was only slightly different from the Pearson's correlation coefficient of observer 2 (0.92/0.85). The app-based tunnel analysis took on average 59 ± 16 s per measurement.CONCLUSION: The femoral tunnel analysis with the app-based quadrant method has an almost perfect intra- and interobserver reliability. By smartphone camera, a fast and highly accurate, if necessary also intraoperative, control of the tunnel position can be performed.LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3-diagnostic retrospective cohort study.

U2 - 10.1007/s00402-024-05380-9

DO - 10.1007/s00402-024-05380-9

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 38795188

VL - 144

SP - 3137

EP - 3144

JO - ARCH ORTHOP TRAUM SU

JF - ARCH ORTHOP TRAUM SU

SN - 0936-8051

IS - 7

ER -