Radiographic assessment of the femoral insertion of the posterior cruciate ligament.
OBJECTIVE
To establish the radiographic images of the femoral insertion of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), in order to assist the creation of anatomical femoral tunnels during surgeries, and to be used as parameters in postoperative evaluation of the location of these tunnels.


METHODS
Thirty adult cadaver knees were used. The PCL anterolateral (AL) and posteromedial (PM) bundles' center was marked with a metallic marker. Radiographs were taken and a grid system was established to locate the position of bundles insertion. The percentile in which the projection of each bundle's center was in relation to the Blumensaat line was also determined.


RESULTS
In the anteroposterior view, AL and PM bundles' centers were on average, on the 42.5% and 38.18% percentiles of Blumensaat's line, respectively. In lateral views, the AL and PM bundles' centers corresponded to the 72.94% and 55.56% percentiles of the line, respectively. In 73.33% of the knees the AL bundle center was on the 3D quadrant and in 70% of samples the PM bundle center was in quadrant 2D.


CONCLUSIONS
We established an X-ray pattern of femoral insertion of PCL that may be of interest for intraoperative control, before tunnel drilling, and also for post-operative evaluation of tunnel location. Controlled Laboratory Study .
Orthopedic and Traumatology Clinic, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas e da Saúde de Sorocaba, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, Sorocaba, SP, Brazil.
Julio Cesar
JC
Gali
Orthopedic and Traumatology Clinic, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas e da Saúde de Sorocaba, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, Sorocaba, SP, Brazil.
André Schmidt
AS
Soares
Orthopedic and Traumatology Clinic, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas e da Saúde de Sorocaba, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, Sorocaba, SP, Brazil.
Bruno Spagnuolo
BS
de Lima
Orthopedic and Traumatology Clinic, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas e da Saúde de Sorocaba, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, Sorocaba, SP, Brazil.
Filippo Santos Zozoloto
FS
Vianna
Orthopedic and Traumatology Clinic, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas e da Saúde de Sorocaba, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, Sorocaba, SP, Brazil.
Phelipe Augusto Cintra
PA
da Silva
Orthopedic and Traumatology Clinic, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas e da Saúde de Sorocaba, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, Sorocaba, SP, Brazil.
Edie Benedito
EB
Caetano
Femur; Posterior cruciate ligament; Radiography