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. 2022 Jun 10;58(2):206-210.
doi: 10.1055/s-0042-1749199. eCollection 2023 Apr.

Anatomy of the Medial Meniscotibial Ligament of the Knee: A Systematic Review

Jonatas Brito de Alencar Neto  1   2 , Amanda Progênio Dos Santos  1 , Márcio Bezerra Gadelha Lopes  1   2 , Lana Lacerda de Lima  3   4 , Renata Clazzer  3 , Diego Ariel de Lima  3   4
Affiliations

Anatomy of the Medial Meniscotibial Ligament of the Knee: A Systematic Review

Jonatas Brito de Alencar Neto et al. Rev Bras Ortop (Sao Paulo). .

Abstract

Objectives To perform a systematic review of the literature on the anatomy of the medial meniscotibial ligaments (MTLs), and to present the most accepted findings, as well as the evolution of the anatomical knowledge on this structure. Materials and Methods An electronic search was conducted in the MEDLINE/PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE and Cochrane library databases with no date restrictions. The following index terms were used in the search: anatomy AND meniscotibial AND ligament AND medial . The review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. We included anatomical studies of the knee were included, such as cadaver dissections, histological and/or biological investigations, and/or imaging of the medial MTL anatomy. Results Eight articles that met the inclusion criteria were selected. The first article was published in 1984 and the last, in 2020. The total sample in the 8 articles was of 96 patients. Most studies are purely descriptive in terms of the macroscopic morphological and microscopic histological findings. Two studies evaluated the biomechanical aspects of the MTL, and one, the anatomical correlation with the magnetic resonance imaging examination. Conclusion The main function of the medial MTL, a ligament that originates in the tibia and is inserted in the lower meniscus, is to stabilize and maintain the meniscus in its position on the tibial plateau. However, there is a limited amount of information regarding medial MTLs, primarily in terms of anatomy, especially vascularization and innervation.

Keywords: anatomy; knee; ligaments; meniscus; tibia.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflito de Interesses Os autores declaram não haver conflito de interesses.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Medial meniscotibial ligament (MTL). Abbreviations: MFC, medial femoral condyle; MTL, meniscotibial ligament; MTP, medial tibial plateau; MM, medial meniscus; TI, tibial insertion of the medial MTL.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Flowchart of the selection of articles.
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Ligamento meniscotibial medial. Abreviaturas: CFM, côndilo femoral medial: LMT, ligamento meniscotibial; PTM, platô tibial medial; MM, menisco medial; IT, inserção tibial do LMT medial. MFC = CFMMTL = LMTMM = MMMTP = PTMTI = IT
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Fluxograma da seleção de artigos.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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