Functional assessment of the anterior cruciate ligament in knee osteoarthritis.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) function in knee osteoarthritis (OA) and clarify the relationship of MRI and arthroscopic findings with ACL function. Eighty patients with knee OA were evaluated for anterior knee joint laxity, Kellgren-Lawrence grade, MRI ACL grade, arthroscopic ACL grade, osteophytes, and meniscus tears. ACL function was significantly correlated with osteophyte scores and medial and lateral meniscus tears. The MRI ACL grade was strongly correlated with the arthroscopic ACL grade, and anterior knee joint laxity decreased as the grades increased, suggesting a decrease in the elasticity of degenerated ACLs.