The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American). 2007;89:758-764.
doi:10.2106/JBJS.F.00120
© 2007 The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow CME: Take the exams for this article:
 Adult Knee Reconstruction Test 15: Summer 2007 (publication date August 15,...
CME 2: April, May, June 2007 (publication date July 5, 2007; expiration dat...
Sports Test 11: Summer 2007 (publication date August 15, 2007; expiration d...
Right arrow Letters to the Editor: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when Letters to the Editor are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by LaPrade, R. F.
Right arrow Articles by Engebretsen, L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by LaPrade, R. F.
Right arrow Articles by Engebretsen, L.
Related Collections
Right arrow Adult Knee
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Technorati  
What's this?

The Anatomy of the Posterior Aspect of the Knee

An Anatomic Study

Robert F. LaPrade, MD, PhD1, Patrick M. Morgan, MD1, Fred A. Wentorf, MS1, Steinar Johansen, MD2 and Lars Engebretsen, MD, PhD2

1 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Minnesota, 2450 Riverside Avenue, R200, Minneapolis, MN 55454. E-mail address for R.F. LaPrade: lapra001{at}umn.edu
2 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Oslo, Ullevaal University Hospital, 0407, Oslo, Norway

Investigation performed at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Disclosure: In support of their research for or preparation of this work, one or more of the authors received, in any one year, outside funding or grants of less than $10,000 from the Sports Medicine Research Fund of the Minnesota Medical Foundation, University of Minnesota, and the Vice President for Research, University of Minnesota. Neither they nor a member of their immediate families received payments or other benefits or a commitment or agreement to provide such benefits from a commercial entity. No commercial entity paid or directed, or agreed to pay or direct, any benefits to any research fund, foundation, division, center, clinical practice, or other charitable or nonprofit organization with which the authors, or a member of their immediate families, are affiliated or associated.

Background: The orthopaedic literature contains relatively little quantitative information regarding the anatomy of the posterior aspect of the knee. The purpose of the present study was to provide a detailed description of, and to propose a standard nomenclature for, the anatomy of the posterior aspect of the knee.

Methods: Detailed dissection of twenty nonpaired, fresh-frozen knees was performed. Posterior knee structures were measured according to length, width, and/or distance to reproducible osseous landmarks.

Results: The semimembranosus tendon had eight attachments distal to the main common tendon. The main components were a lateral expansion to the oblique popliteal ligament; a direct arm, which attached to the tibia; and an anterior arm. The oblique popliteal ligament, the largest posterior knee structure, formed a broad fascial sheath over the posterior aspect of the knee and measured 48.0 mm in length and 9.5 mm wide at its medial origin and 16.4 mm wide at its lateral attachment. It had two lateral attachments, one to the meniscofemoral portion of the posterolateral joint capsule and one to the tibia, along the lateral border of the posterior cruciate ligament facet. The semimembranosus also had a distal tibial expansion, which formed a posterior fascial layer over the popliteus muscle. A thickening of the posterior joint capsule, the proximal popliteus capsular expansion, which in this study averaged 40.5 mm in length, connected the posteromedial knee capsule at its attachment at the intercondylar notch to the medial border of the popliteus musculotendinous junction. The plantaris muscle, popliteofibular ligament, fabellofibular ligament, and semimembranosus bursa were present in all specimens.

Conclusions: The anatomy of the posterior aspect of the knee is quite complex. This study provides information that can lead to further biomechanical, radiographic imaging, and clinical studies of the importance of these posterior knee structures.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am J Sports MedHome page
R. F. LaPrade, L. Engebretsen, S. Johansen, F. A. Wentorf, and C. Kurtenbach
The Effect of a Proximal Tibial Medial Opening Wedge Osteotomy on Posterolateral Knee Instability: A Biomechanical Study
Am. J. Sports Med., May 1, 2008; 36(5): 956 - 960.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am J Sports MedHome page
A. Arthur, R. F. LaPrade, and J. Agel
Proximal Tibial Opening Wedge Osteotomy as the Initial Treatment for Chronic Posterolateral Corner Deficiency in the Varus Knee: A Prospective Clinical Study
Am. J. Sports Med., November 1, 2007; 35(11): 1844 - 1850.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 JBJSHome page
R. F. LaPrade, A. H. Engebretsen, T. V. Ly, S. Johansen, F. A. Wentorf, and L. Engebretsen
The Anatomy of the Medial Part of the Knee
J. Bone Joint Surg. Am., September 1, 2007; 89(9): 2000 - 2010.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]