Relevance of posterior tibial slope
The amount of tibial slope has a bearing on knee stability, and in particular the stability of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
An abnormal degree of slope may make the ACL more prone to injury.
Quick links
End of links Peer-reviewed papers
Quote from peer-reviewed paper:
"....Higher tibial slopes in injured soccer players compared to the uninjured players may indicate a relationship between the tibial slope and ACL injury risk....On players who display higher tibial slopes, additional exercises targeting enhancement of neuromuscular stability should be advised...."
Citation: Senişik S, Ozgürbüz C, Ergün M, Yüksel O, Taskiran E, Işlegen C, Ertat A. Posterior tibial slope as a risk factor for anterior cruciate ligament rupture in soccer players. J Sports Sci Med. 2011 Dec 1;10(4):763-7. PMID: 24149571; PMCID: PMC3761495.
Measurement of posterior tibial slope
To measure the angle of tibial slope, a line is drawn on an X-ray along the front of the tibia (anterior tibial cortex line) (A).
Then a line is drawn perpendicular to the anterior tibial cortex line (B). Finally a line is drawn along the top of the tibial plateau (C), and the angle of the posterior tibial slope is the angle formed by B and C.