Background: It has been noted that some female anterior cruciate ligament–injured patients have complaints of both coxalgia and joint laxity.
Hypothesis: Female anterior cruciate ligament–injured patients tend to have both acetabular dysplasia and generalized joint laxity.
Study Design: Cohort study (prevalence); Level of evidence, 2.
Methods: Hip radiographs of 100 female anterior cruciate ligament–injured patients and 40 female athletes without any hip joint complaints or history of anterior cruciate ligament injury were evaluated by measuring their center-edge angle (CEA). In addition, generalized joint laxity tests using 8 items were performed for anterior cruciate ligament–injured patients. Anterior-posterior (A-P) tibiofemoral translation of the uninjured knee was measured using a KT-1000 knee arthrometer to evaluate joint laxity under anesthesia before anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
Results: The average (± standard deviation) CEA of female anterior cruciate ligament–injured patients was 25.5° ± 5.3° (uninjured side) and 25.8° ± 4.8° (injured side), and that of the control group was 28.2° ± 4.2° (right side) and 29.2° ± 5.7° (left side), both P < .05. Among the 100 patients with anterior cruciate ligament tears, both the generalized joint laxity score and A-P tibiofemoral translation of the group with acetabular dysplasia (CEA of <25°, n = 37) were significantly greater than that of the normal group (CEA of ≥25°, n = 63). There was a negative correlation between the CEA of female anterior cruciate ligament–injured patients and both the generalized joint laxity score and A-P tibiofemoral translation.
Conclusion: The CEA of female anterior cruciate ligament–injured patients was significantly smaller than that of the control group. Statstical analysis showed a moderate negative correlation between the CEA and generalized joint laxity score. Female athletes with an anterior cruciate ligament injury had an increased prevalence of acetabular dysplasia and generalized joint laxity.