Abstract
Purpose
In the present study, the posterior intermalleolar ligament (PIML) was classified by type using large-scale cadavers to provide basic information to help elucidate the mechanism of ankle joint posterior impingement syndrome.
Methods
This investigation examined 100 legs from 49 Japanese cadavers (mean age at death, 79 ± 11 years; 58 sides from men, 42 from women). In the classification method, an absent PIML was classified as Type I, a PIML with one fiber bundle (attachment to one place) was Type II, a PIML with two fiber bundles (attachment to two places) was Type III, and a PIML with three fiber bundles (attachment to three or more places) was Type IV. Furthermore, according to other adhering tissues, they were further subdivided and classified by type.
Results
There were various types of PIML: 19 (19%) Type I; 24 (24%) Type II; 23 (23%) Type III; and 34 (34%) Type IV. A PIML was present in 81 legs (81%). There were no significant differences between men and women and between left and right sides.
Conclusions
The complex relationships of the PIML with the surrounding ligaments and tissues are considered to be among the factors that make interpretation of imaging findings difficult.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge and thank those anonymous individuals who generously donated their bodies so that this study could be performed. This study was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (19K11358) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and a Grant-in-Aid program from Niigata University of Health and Welfare (H30B05).
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ME and TT contributed to study design and data collection, and drafted the manuscript; TI contributed to data analysis and made critical revisions to the manuscript; RH, MI, FK, and KM made critical revisions to the manuscript; IK supervised the study, contributed to analysis and interpretation of data, and made critical revisions to the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript prior to submission.
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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
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The methods were carried out in accordance with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki, and the cadavers were legally donated for the research by the Nippon Dental University of Life Dentistry at Niigata in Japan.
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Informed consent was obtained from the families of all subjects.
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Edama, M., Takabayashi, T., Inai, T. et al. Morphological features of the posterior intermalleolar ligament. Surg Radiol Anat 41, 1441–1443 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-019-02295-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-019-02295-8