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Anatomical study of paratenons and fascia lata connections in the posteromedial knee region

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Abstract

Introduction

In the last decade, fascia research increased significantly in various aspects such as anatomical and biomechanical features related to epimuscular force transmission.

Methods

The present anatomic study focuses on macroscopic observations of the potential gracilis and semitendinosus paratenons, as well as fascial surroundings connections in the posteromedial knee region on 17 lower-limbs dissections.

Results

The gracilis and semitendinosus expansions and paratenons were observed in all specimen and further connections with the fascia lata and crural fascia were demonstrated. Contrary to the previously described expansions connected to the tendons, we observed that the expansions were the edges of the paratenon tunnel and that the paratenon structure surrounded the overall muscle. Both paratenons of gracilis and semitendinosus were connected to the crural fascia and, respectively, to the sartorius fascia (part of the fascia lata), to the semimembranosus and the fascia lata. Furthermore, numerous connections between the fascia lata and the neighboring structures in the posteromedial knee region are described.

Discussion–conclusion

The present study describes for the first time gracilis and semitendinosus paratenons and other surrounding fascial connections. Such macroscopic observations may represent a new basis for further characterization of the myofascial pathway of epimuscular force transmission in the knee region.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Mr. Hakim Bajou, for his technical support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Anatomy, Biomechanics and Organogenesis (LABO), Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium

    Olivier Snoeck & Benoît Beyer

  2. Laboratory for Functional Anatomy, Faculty of Motor Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium

    Olivier Snoeck, Benoît Beyer, Marcel Rooze & Véronique Feipel

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  1. Olivier Snoeck
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  4. Véronique Feipel
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Contributions

OS, BB, MR and VF contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by OS and BB. The first draft of the manuscript was written by OS and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Olivier Snoeck.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. I declare that all authors have participated in the study and to the redaction of this manuscript and have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence this work.

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Snoeck, O., Beyer, B., Rooze, M. et al. Anatomical study of paratenons and fascia lata connections in the posteromedial knee region. Surg Radiol Anat 44, 821–827 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-022-02927-6

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