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An anatomical study of the meniscal roots of the knee: landmarks for its surgical reconstruction and implications for knee surgeons

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this anatomical study was to describe the anatomy of the meniscal roots and their relationships with respect to the main adjacent structures in order to improve their surgical reconstruction.

Methods

Fourteen knees were included. The mean age of the donors was 92 years (range 89–96). We studied the general characteristics of the anterior and posterior roots of the medial meniscus and lateral meniscus by measuring their widths at their base and area. We investigated the relations between anterior and posterior roots of the medial and lateral menisci with respect to the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments (ACL and PCL).

Results

The mean width of the anterior root of the lateral meniscus was 10.5 ± 1.4 mm. The mean width of the anterior root of the medial meniscus was 10 ± 1.5 mm. The mean width of the posterior root of lateral meniscus was 11.4 ± 1.4 mm. The mean width of the posterior root of medial meniscus was 10.5 ± 1.0 mm. The mean distance between the anterior cruciate ligament and the anterior root of lateral meniscus was 9.8 ± 2.9 mm, for the medial meniscus it was 15.9 ± 3.4 mm. The mean distance between the posterior cruciate ligament and the posterior root of the lateral meniscus was 11.5 ± 2.7 mm, for the medial meniscus, it was 11 ± 2.6 mm.

Conclusion

The anterior and posterior meniscal roots have precise landmarks, and this article contributes to define the location of the meniscal roots with respect to their adjacent anatomical structures: ACL, PCL and intercondylar tubercle. Having precise measures of the distances between the meniscus roots and these structures allows knee surgeons to perform ACL reconstruction, meniscal root repair and meniscal allograft transplantation.

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Acknowledgements

The authors sincerely thank those who donated their bodies to science so that anatomical research could be performed. Results from such research can potentially increase mankind’s overall knowledge that can then improve patient care. Therefore, these donors and their families deserve our highest gratitude.

Funding

The authors did not receive support from any organization for the submitted work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hospices Civils de Lyon, Hôpital Lyon Sud, Chirurgie Orthopedique et Traumatologique, 165 Chemin du Grand Revoyet, 69495, Pierre-Benite Cedex, France

    Corentin Pangaud, Maxime Rarchaert, Vincent Belgaid, Michel-Henri Fessy & Anthony Viste

  2. Univ de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Univ Gustave Eiffel, IFSTTAR, LBMC UMRT_9406, Lyon, France

    Michel-Henri Fessy & Anthony Viste

  3. Faculté de Médecine et Maïeutique Lyon Sud-Charles Mérieux, Laboratoire d’Anatomie, 165 Chemin du Petit Revoyet, 69921, Oullins, Cedex, France

    Michel-Henri Fessy & Anthony Viste

  4. Institut du Mouvement et de l’Appareil Locomoteur, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille, Hôpital Sainte Marguerite, 270 Bd Sainte Marguerite, 13009, Marseille, France

    Matthieu Ollivier

Authors
  1. Corentin Pangaud
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  2. Maxime Rarchaert
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  3. Vincent Belgaid
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  4. Matthieu Ollivier
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  5. Michel-Henri Fessy
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  6. Anthony Viste
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Contributions

CP, data collection, data analysis, and manuscript writing. MR, data collection. VB, manuscript editing and illustration. MO, protocol development and manuscript editing. MHF: protocol development and manuscript editing. AV, protocol development and manuscript editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anthony Viste.

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The study was approved (or granted exemption) by the appropriate institutional and/or national research ethics committee (including the name of the ethics committee) and certify that the study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Pangaud, C., Rarchaert, M., Belgaid, V. et al. An anatomical study of the meniscal roots of the knee: landmarks for its surgical reconstruction and implications for knee surgeons. Surg Radiol Anat 44, 971–977 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-022-02979-8

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