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Table 3 Demographic characteristics, potential diagnostic variables and treatment pathway by ACL status (n = 725)

From: Towards improving the identification of anterior cruciate ligament tears in primary point-of-care settings

Variable

ACL−

n = 289

ACL+

n = 436

P-value

Records Available

Participant Characteristic

 Sex: total (%) female

133 (46.0)

213 (48.9)

0.455

725

 Age: median years (min-max)

26 (15–46)

26 (15–45)

0.989

725

 Height: median cm (min-max)

176.4 (155–197)

172.0 (151–199)

< 0.001*

510

 Weight: median kg (min-max)

81.0 (48.4–152.4)

76 (43.0–149.3)

0.003

510

 BMI: median kg/m2 (min-max)

25.8 (18.4–45.4)

25.4 (17.5–51.0)

0.193

510

 Not sport-related: total (%)

64 (22.1)

33 (7.6)

< 0.001*

725

 Sport: total (%) soccer

47 (16.3)

129 (29.6)

< 0.001*

725

Mechanism of Injury

 Non-contact: % (95%CI)

72.4 (66.0,78.0)

84.2 (80.4,87.4)

< 0.001*

632

 Hyperextension: % (95%CI)

10.8 (6.7,17.0)

11.8 (8.5,16.2)

0.759

420

 Hyperflexion: % (95%CI)

6.1 (3.2,11.3)

1.8 (0.8,4.4)

0.021

420

 Plant/pivot: % (95%CI)

17.7 (12.4,24.7)

52.0 (46.1,57.8)

< 0.001*

431

 Valgus: % (95%CI)

23.2 (17.1,30.6)

27.7 (22.7,33.3)

0.313

422

 Varus: % (95%CI)

5.3 (2.7,10.3)

7.3 (4.7,11.1)

0.436

424

Time of Injury

 Pop: % (95%CI)

47.3 (40.5,54.2)

83.3 (79.1,86.9)

< 0.001*

559

 Pain: % (95%CI)

65.3 (58.1,72.0)

97.8 (95.3,99.0)

< 0.001*

461

 Immediate swelling: % (95%CI)

57.1 (50.8,63.2)

91.8 (88.7,94.1)

< 0.001*

648

 Instability: % (95%CI)

55.4 (47.2,63.3

97.5 (95.1,98.7)

< 0.001*

468

 Locking: % (95%CI)

21.3 (13.5,31.8)

57.9 (34.8,78.0)

0.003

99

 Catching: % (95%CI)

1.6 (0.2,10.7)

12.5 (1.4,58.2)

0.211

72

 Inability to continue activity: % (95%CI)

51.8 (44.2,59.2)

93.2 (89.7,95.7)

< 0.001*

452

Clinical History (since the injury)

 Delayed pain: % (95%CI)

3.4 (1.5,7.4)

1.4 (0.5,3.8)

0.147

454

 Delayed swelling: % (95%CI)

17.4 (13.1,22.8)

6.5 (4.5,9.4)

< 0.001*

641

 Pain: % (95%CI)

100

100

–

668

 Swelling: % (95%CI)

96.7 (90.2,98.9)

99.5 (97.8,99.9)

0.056*

457

 Instability: % (95%CI)

75.4 (69.1,80.6)

98.8 (97.2,99.5)

< 0.001*

648

 Locking: % (95%CI)

32.0 (25.2,39.8)

45.6 (37.4,54.1)

0.017

295

 Catching: % (95%CI)

38.9 (28.2,50.7)

33.3 (21.6,47.5)

0.529

123

 Inability to weight bear: % (95%CI)

93.0 (82.5,97.4)

99.4 (95.8,99.9)

0.016

222

 Inability to return to activity: % (95%CI)

90.6 (85.3,94.0)

100

< 0.001*

546

 Family history of ACL tear: % (95%CI)

3.3 (1.6,6.4)

22.8 (18.8,27.4)

< 0.001*

609

Clinical Examination

 Positive Lachman: % (95%CI)

9.6 (6.6,13.8)

91.3 (88.2,93.6)

< 0.001*

695

 Positive Pivot shift: % (95%CI)

3.7 (1.8,7.1)

87.2 (83.3,90.3)

< 0.001*

570

 Positive Anterior drawer: % (95%CI)

6.1 (3.6,10.0)

86.6 (81.2,90.7)

< 0.001*

433

 Positive Posterior drawer: % (95%CI)

4.9 (2.8,8.4)

1.2 (0.5,0.3)

< 0.001*

649

 Positive Valgus stress: % (95%CI)

9.7 (6.7,13.8)

7.4 (5.2,10.3)

0.284

690

 Positive Varus stress: % (95%CI)

1.2 (0.4,3.6)

0.1 (0.04,2.6)

0.542

664

Care Pathway

 X-ray: total (%)

240 (83.0)

372 (85.3)

0.41

725

 MRI: total (%)

279 (96.5)

356 (81.7)

< 0.001*

725

 Orthopaedic surgeon exam: total (%)

103 (35.6)

391 (89.7)

< 0.001*

725

 Surgery: total (%)

27 (9.3)

258 (59.2)

< 0.001*

725

 Injury to consultation: median days (min-max)

126 (1–730)

176 (1–798)

0.0246

725

 Injury to MRI: median days (min-max)

113 (2–804)

52 (1–535)

< 0.001*

725

 Injury to surgeon: median days (min-max)

186 (1–806)

198 (10–806)

0.561

725

 Injury to surgery: median days (min-max)

192 (15–988)

308 (19–959)

0.04

725

  1. Values represent number (%) unless otherwise stated
  2. ACL Anterior Cruciate Ligament, ACL− ACL intact, ACL+ ACL full-thickness tear, AKIC Acute knee injury clinic, BMI Body Mass Index, CI confidence interval, cm centimeters, kg kilograms, m meters, MRI Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  3. *Statistically significant at α < 0.001