Abstract
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the reliability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in predicting the location of ACL tears in preoperative planning for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair. METHODS: Thirty-four patients who underwent ACL repair were retrospectively analyzed to compare intraoperative arthroscopic findings with preoperative MRIs. RESULTS: For identifying type I tears, the sensitivity of MRI was 9.0% and the accuracy of MRI was 8.8%. There was moderate interrater agreement between MRI findings for tear location and tear degree. CONCLUSION: MRI alone may not necessarily be accurate in identifying which ACL tears are amenable to repair. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series; Level of Evidence: IV.