AJSM June 2026 Podcast: Association Between Posterior Tibial Slope and Graft Survival in High-Risk Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Lateral Extra-articular Tenodesis

Posterior tibial slope (PTS) is a well-established anatomic risk factor for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) graft failure. Lateral extra-articular tenodesis (LET) is increasingly used as an adjunctive procedure in high-risk patients to reduce rerupture rates; however, how its protective effect varies across the continuum of slope values remains insufficiently characterized.

 

In conclusion, PTS was independently associated with graft failure in both groups. Although LET was associated with lower failure probabilities within a moderate slope range, increasing PTS values were linked to a progressively higher risk of reruptures in both groups. The association between a steeper slope and failure observed in the ACLR with LET group suggests that an elevated PTS may attenuate the relative protective effect of LET.