title: Qualitative and quantitative measurement of the anterior and posterior meniscal root attachments of the New Zealand white rabbit.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to quantify the meniscal root anatomy of the New Zealand white rabbit to better understand this animal model for future in vitro and in vivo joint degeneration studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten non-paired fresh frozen New Zealand white rabbit knee stifle joints were carefully disarticulated for this study. Measurements were made for all bony landmarks and ligamentous structure attachment sites on the tibial plateau. The following soft tissue structures were consistently identified in the rabbit stifle joint: the anterior root attachment of the lateral meniscus, the anterior root attachment of the medial meniscus, the anterior cruciate ligament, the posterior root attachment of the medial meniscus, the ligament of Wrisberg, the posterior cruciate ligament, and the posterior meniscotibial ligament. The following bony landmarks were consistently identified: the extensor digitorum longus groove, the medial tibial eminence, the center of the tibial tuberosity, and the lateral tibial eminence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The center of the anterior cruciate ligament and the medial tibial eminence apex were found to be 3.4 ± 0.3 mm (2.9-3.6) and 6.1 ± 0.6 mm (5.1-7.0) respectively from the center of the medical anterior root attachment. The center of the anterior cruciate ligament and the lateral tibial eminence apex were found to be 2.1 ± 0.5 mm (1.2-2.7) and 7.0 ± 0.6 mm (6.4-8.2) respectively from the center of the lateral anterior root attachment. The center of the posterior cruciate ligament and the medial tibial eminence apex were found to be 2.0 ± 0.7 mm (0.5-2.6) and 1.8 ± 0.4 mm (1.2-2.4) respectively from the center of the medial posterior root attachment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study augments our understanding of the comparative anatomy of the rabbit stifle joint. This information will be useful for future biomechanical, surgical, and in vitro studies utilizing the rabbit stifle as a model for human knee joint degenerative diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Steadman Philippon Research Institute, 181 West Meadow Drive Suite 1000, Vail, CO, 81657, USA. davidcivitarese11@gmail.com.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Civitarese
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Building A106 Engineering, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA. Tammy.Donahue@colostate.edu.
authors.forename: Tammy L Haut
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Donahue
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Steadman Philippon Research Institute, 181 West Meadow Drive Suite 1000, Vail, CO, 81657, USA. claprade@mcw.edu.
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: LaPrade
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Steadman Philippon Research Institute, 181 West Meadow Drive Suite 1000, Vail, CO, 81657, USA. ajsaroki@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Adriana J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Saroki
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Steadman Philippon Research Institute, 181 West Meadow Drive Suite 1000, Vail, CO, 81657, USA. sam.g.moulton@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Samuel G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Moulton
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Steadman Philippon Research Institute, 181 West Meadow Drive Suite 1000, Vail, CO, 81657, USA. jschon@sprivail.org.
authors.forename: Jason M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Schon
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Steadman Philippon Research Institute, 181 West Meadow Drive Suite 1000, Vail, CO, 81657, USA. drlaprade@sprivail.org.|The Steadman Clinic, 181 West Meadow Drive Suite 400, Vail, CO, 81657, USA. drlaprade@sprivail.org.
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: LaPrade
keywords: Anatomy; Meniscal roots; Meniscus; New Zealand white rabbits; Rabbit stifle