title: Anatomic study of fabella and its surrounding structures in a Chinese population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the anatomic features of the fabella and its relationship with the common peroneal nerve and the fabellofibular ligament, so as to provide anatomical evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment of fabella diseases in a Chinese population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-one formalin-fixed knee specimens were obtained for anatomic dissection. Structural features of the fabella were investigated by radiological and histological tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 53 cases (86.89%) with fabellae in the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle, including 34 bony ones (55.74%), whereas only 6 cases had fabellae in the medial head (9.84%). The fabellae were accompanied by common peroneal nerves on their surfaces in 11 cases (20.8%), and the presence of the fabella was not generally predictive of a fabellofibular ligament. As much as 57.9% of the cartilage fabellae were not visualized on radiograph. The structure of the ossified fabella is similar to a typical long bone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fabellae were mainly present in the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle in a large proportion of the Chinese population. More than half of the cartilage fabellae were not visualized on radiograph. Its clinical significance could not be ignored by physicians and anatomists.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
authors.forename: Shu-Xiong
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Xi-Le
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Rui-Shan
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.forename: Guo-Sheng
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jia-Feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hui-Long
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xiao-Dan
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D002102:Cadaver; D004210:Dissection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000601:surgery; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008023:Ligaments, Articular / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010543:Peroneal Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D011859:Radiography; D012716:Sesamoid Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging