Patient's Height and Sex Predict Graft Diameter: A Cohort Study of 4,519 Patients With Primary Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using Semitendinosus Autograft.

Purpose: To determine whether anthropometric measurements (height and weight), sex, age, and preinjury Tegner Activity Scale (TAS) were predictors of the quadrupled semitendinosus (ST) graft diameter in primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Methods: A total of 4,519 patients who underwent primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with a quadrupled ST autograft were included. Anthropometric measurements (height and weight), sex, age, and preinjury TAS were collected. Correlation coefficients and multiple linear regression analysis were used to determine the relationships among graft diameter and anthropometrics measurements (height and weight), sex, age, and preinjury TAS.

Results: The diameter of the quadrupled ST graft was correlated positively to height (r = 0.021, P < .001), age (r = 0.005, P < .001), and weight (r = 0.004, P = .001) and negatively to female sex (r = -0.297, P < .001). A regression equation was estimated to predict the ST graft diameter for men as 4.245 + 0.021 × height (cm) + 0.004 × age (years) + 0.005 × weight (kg) and for women as 3.969 + 0.021 × height (cm) + 0.004 × age (years) + 0.005 × weight (kg).

Conclusions: Height, age, and weight were positively correlated, whereas female sex was negatively correlated, to the diameter of the quadrupled ST graft. Knowledge of these factors can be used for the preoperative estimation of the graft diameter which can be helpful for appropriate graft choice.

Level Of Evidence: Level III, retrospective cohort study.