title: The distal semimembranosus complex: normal MR anatomy, variants, biomechanics and pathology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the normal MR anatomy and variations of the distal semimembranosus tendinous arms and the posterior oblique ligament as seen in the three orthogonal planes, to review the biomechanics of this complex and to illustrate pathologic examples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The distal semimembranosus tendon divides into five tendinous arms named the anterior, direct, capsular, inferior and the oblique popliteal ligament. These arms intertwine with the branches of the posterior oblique ligament in the posterior medial aspect of the knee, providing stability. This tendon-ligamentous complex also acts synergistically with the popliteus muscle and actively pulls the posterior horn of the medial meniscus during knee flexion. Pathologic conditions involving this complex include complete and partial tears, insertional tendinosis, avulsion fractures and bursitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Maimonides Medical Center, 4802 Tenth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219, USA. jbeltran46@msn.com
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beltran
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matityahu
authors.forename: Ki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Marlena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jbara
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maimon
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Padron
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mota
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Beltran
authors.forename: Murali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sundaram
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000502:physiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000293:injuries; D013710:Tendons / Q000033:anatomy & histology