The ligament passes behind the posterior cruciate ligament as it stabilises the back of the lateral meniscus in relation to the medial condyle of the femur. The complex anatomy here increases the risk of MRI mis-interpretation.
The ligament passes behind the posterior cruciate ligament as it stabilises the back of the lateral meniscus in relation to the medial condyle of the femur. The complex anatomy here increases the risk of MRI mis-interpretation.
Meniscofemoral ligament
The two arms of the meniscofemoral ligament come together where they attach at the back of the lateral meniscus.
Peer-reviewed papersQuote from peer-reviewed paper:
"...the [meniscofemoral ligaments] serve an important role in protecting the lateral meniscus and augmenting the function of the PCL...."
Citation: Deckey DG, Tummala S, Verhey JT, Hassebrock JD, Dulle D, Miller MD, Chhabra A. Prevalence, Biomechanics, and Pathologies of the Meniscofemoral Ligaments: A Systematic Review. Arthrosc Sports Med Rehabil. 2021 Nov 26;3(6):e2093-e2101. doi: 10.1016/j.asmr.2021.09.006. PMID: 34977667; PMCID: PMC8689266.
What does the meniscofemoral ligament do?
The meniscofemoral ligament stabilises the lateral meniscus and prevents its avulsion.
It also complements the action of the cruciate ligaments in preventing the tibia from abnormal backwards movements (posterior tibial translation).
Quick linksMeniscofemoral ligament being the cause of mis-interpretation of MRI
An inexperienced knee radiologist may misinterpret the ligament as a tear of the lateral meniscus.
Peer-reviewed papersQuote from peer-reviewed paper:
"....normal variants of anatomical structures of the meniscofemoral ligaments may [mimic] tears of the lateral meniscus on MRI [when] they are actually intact on arthroscopy...."
Citation: Park BK, Lee H, Kim ST, Yoon MG. The Meniscofemoral Ligament Mimicking a Lateral Meniscus Tear. Knee Surg Relat Res. 2017 Dec 1;29(4):321-324. doi: 10.5792/ksrr.16.036. PMID: 29172393; PMCID: PMC5718790.