Morphology of the femoral insertion of the lateral collateral ligament and popliteus tendon.
OBJECTIVE
To clarify the femoral insertion of the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) and popliteus tendon (PT) and related osseous landmarks on three-dimensional images.


METHODS
Twenty-six non-paired, formalin-fixed human cadaveric knees were evaluated in this study. Femoral insertion of the LCL and PT was identified and marked. Three-dimensional images were created, and the surface area, location, positional relationships, and morphology of the femoral insertion of the LCL, PT, and related osseous structures were analysed.


RESULTS
The mean surface areas of the LCL and PT femoral insertions were 55.8 ± 25.0 and 52.5 ± 24.2 mm(2), respectively. Variations in the positional relationships between the LCL and PT insertions (PT inserted parallel and posterior to the LCL insertion to the long axis of the femur) were observed. The lateral epicondyle and popliteal sulcus could be clearly identified as osseous landmarks on three-dimensional images in all knees. Most of the LCL was inserted postero-distal to the apex of the lateral epicondyle, and the PT was inserted at the anterior end of the popliteal sulcus in all knees.


CONCLUSIONS
We observed variation in the positional relationship between the femoral insertion of the LCL and PT. However, the relationships between their insertions and osseous landmarks were consistent. The findings of this study contribute to the understanding of the PLC osseous anatomy and should assist surgeons in performing PLC surgery with a more anatomic perspective.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Iwate Medical University, 19-1 Uchimaru, Morioka, Iwate, 020-8505, Japan.
Sanjuro
S
Takeda
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Iwate Medical University, 19-1 Uchimaru, Morioka, Iwate, 020-8505, Japan. gorot56jp@mac.com.
Goro
G
Tajima
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Iwate Medical University, 19-1 Uchimaru, Morioka, Iwate, 020-8505, Japan.
Kotaro
K
Fujino
Department of Anatomy, Iwate Medical University, Morioka, Japan.
Jun
J
Yan
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Iwate Medical University, 19-1 Uchimaru, Morioka, Iwate, 020-8505, Japan.
Youichi
Y
Kamei
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Iwate Medical University, 19-1 Uchimaru, Morioka, Iwate, 020-8505, Japan.
Moritaka
M
Maruyama
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Iwate Medical University, 19-1 Uchimaru, Morioka, Iwate, 020-8505, Japan.
Shuhei
S
Kikuchi
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Iwate Medical University, 19-1 Uchimaru, Morioka, Iwate, 020-8505, Japan.
Minoru
M
Doita
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002102:Cadaver; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017844:Lateral Ligament, Ankle / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013710:Tendons / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*
Femoral insertion; Lateral collateral ligament; Popliteus tendon; Postero-lateral corner