Localization of tibial attachment of the posterior cruciate ligament and its gender differences: an MRI analysis

Objective To localize the tibial attachment of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and provide parameters for clinical PCL reconstruction. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 524 patients with intact tibial PCL attachment who had undergone knee MRI from January 2010 to January 2016. They were 286 men and 238 women with an average age of 35 years (from 20 to 50 years). The size and positions of the tibial PCL attachment were measured on the sagittal and coronal MRI slices. The differences were analyzed between different genders. Results On the sagittal slices, the mean distance from the central tibial PCL attachment to the posterior edge of the tibial plateau was 17.9±3.0 mm and the mean anteroposterior diameter of the tibial PCL attachment was 9.7±2.4 mm, with those for males significantly larger than for females (P 0.05). On the coronal slices, the distances from the central tibial PCL attachment to the medial and lateral edges of the tibial plateau were 33.5±3.1 mm and 37.4±4.1 mm, respectively, and the mediolateral diameter of the tibial PCL attachment was 12.0±1.6 mm, with those for males significantly larger than for females (P 0.05). Conclusions On knee MRI images, the distance from the central tibial PCL at-tachment to the posterior edge of the tibial plateau is about 17.9 mm, the anteroposterior diameter of the tibial PCL attachment around 9.7 mm, and the mediolateral diameter of the tibial PCL attachment roughly 12.0 mm. These measurements for males are larger than for females. Key words: Posterior cruciate ligament; Magnetic resonance imaging; Tibial attachment; Tibial tunnel