title: Anterior intermeniscal ligament: an ultrastructural study.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the detailed histological characteristics of membranous and cord-like anterior intermeniscal ligaments (AIMLs) by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and light microscopy. Ten biopsies of AIMLs were sampled from 10 knees during total knee arthroplasty procedures. Three of them were membranous and 7 of them were cord-like. They were processed for light and TEM evaluations. Histologically, the findings in the membranous and cord-like ligaments were similar. They consisted of parallel bundles of collagen fibrils and their posterior surfaces were covered by a layer of loose well-vascularized synovial tissue. The subsynovial region consisted of loose connective tissue and was rich in blood vessels and nerve endings. Fibroblasts embedded between parallel-oriented collagen fibrils were the major cell type that we observed. Free nerve endings were squeezed between bundles of collagen fibers. Electron microscopic observations revealed the presence of Ruffini corpuscles. The presence of neural mechanoreceptors in the membranous and cord-like intermeniscal ligaments may contribute to structural and proprioceptional function of the knee. Protection of those ligaments may be valuable in planning and performing meniscal surgeries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Akdeniz University, Faculty of Medicine, 07070 Antalya, Turkey. yildirimfb@akdeniz.edu.tr
authors.forename: Fatoş Belgin
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: Yetkin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Soyuncu
authors.forename: Nurettin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oguz
authors.forename: Ahmet Turan
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.forename: Muzaffer
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sindel
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ustunel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D001706:Biopsy; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008022:Ligaments / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen