Anatomical relationships between Wrisberg meniscofemoral and posterior cruciate ligament's femoral insertions / Relacoes anatomicas entre as insercoes femorais dos ligamentos meniscofemoral de Wrisberg e cruzado posterior

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency and morphometry of the Wrisberg's ligament and its relationships with the posterior cruciate ligament's femoral insertion. STUDY DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study. METHODS: 24 unpaired knee pieces, 12 right and 12 left were submitted to a deep dissection of the Wrisberg and posterior cruciate ligaments. The pieces were photographed with a digital camera and ruler; the Image J software was used to measure the ligaments' insertion areas, in square millimeters. RESULTS: The Wrisberg ligament was present in 91.6% of the studied pieces. In those its shape was elliptical in 12 pieces (54.54%). In 68% of the knees, the WL insertion was proximal to the medial intercondilar ridge, close to the PCL posteromedial bundle. The average area for the WL was 20.46 ± 6.12 mm2. This number corresponded to 23.3% of the PCL's average area. CONCLUSIONS: WL ligament is a common structure in knees. There is a wide variation of its insertion area. Proportionally to the PCL's insertion area the WL ones suggests that it may contribute to the posterior stability of the knee joint. .

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a frequência e a morfometria do ligamento meniscofemoral de Wrisberg e a relação de suas inserções femorais com aquelas do ligamento cruzado posterior (LCP). Desenho do estudo: Estudo laboratorial controlado. MÉTODOS: Foram feitas dissecções minuciosas das inserções femorais dos ligamentos de Wrisberg (LW) e do LCP em 24 peças anatômicas de joelhos. As peças foram fotografadas com uma câmera digital e marcador milimetrado; o programa Image J foi usado para medir a área das inserções ligamentares, em milímetros quadrados. RESULTADOS: O LW esteve presente em 91,6% das peças estudadas. Nessas, seu formato foi elíptico em 12 peças (54,54%). Em 68% dos joelhos a inserção do LW esteve proximal à crista intercondilar medial, próximo à banda posteromedial do LCP. A área média da inserção femoral do LW foi de 20,46 ± 6,12 mm2 , o que correspondeu a 23,3% da área de inserção do LCP. CONCLUSÕES: O LW é estrutura frequente nos joelhos, com grande variabilidade de sua área média. Proporcionalmente ao LCP, sua área média sugere que esse ligamento pode contribuir para a estabilidade posterior do joelho. .

Anatomical study and morphometric analyses on the femoral insertions of the posterior cruciate ligament

PURPOSE: To provide an anatomical and morphometric basis for the femoral insertions of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in order to aid in the creation of anatomical femoral tunnels in ligament surgical reconstruction. Study design: laboratory controlled study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The macroscopic details of the femoral insertions of the PCL's anterolateral (AL) and posteromedial (PM) bundles were analyzed in 24 cadaver knees. The specimens were photographed with a digital camera and the images obtained were studied using the software ImageJ. The bundles' insertion areas were measured in square millimeters, and the length of the structures and the distances between significant points were measured in millimeters. RESULTS: The PCL's femoral insertion average total area was 87.29 ± 31.42 mm².The mean insertion's areas of the AL and PM bundles were, respectively, 47.13 ± 19.14 and 40.67 ± 16.19 mm². In 95.8% of the examined knees was verified the presence of the medial intercondylar ridge and in 83.3% of the knees was noted the medial bifurcated ridge. The average length of the medial intercondylar ridge was 20.54 ± 2.26 mm and the medial bifurcated ridge's average length was 7.62 ± 2.35 mm. CONCLUSIONS: The AL had a femoral insertion area larger than the PM bundle; these bundles' insertion areas were lower than those previously described in the literature. There were important individual variations related to the area of the bundles in the samples, suggesting that there should be an individual recommendation for anatomical reconstructions of the PCL with single or double femoral tunnels. .

O comprimento dos túneis femorais varia com a flexão do joelho na reconstrução anatômica do ligamento cruzado anterior / Femoral tunnels' length changes with knee flexion angle in anatomical anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

OBJETIVO: O propósito de nosso trabalho foi avaliar o efeito que o grau de flexão do joelho, durante a perfuração dos túneis femorais, pode causar no comprimento desses túneis, na reconstrução anatômica do ligamento cruzado anterior. MÉTODOS: Medimos o comprimento dos túneis femorais anteromedial e posterolateral do ligamento cruzado anterior, em 20 peças anatômicas de joelhos desemparelhadas, 10 direitas e 10 esquerdas, todas com a cartilagem e ligamentos cruzados íntegros. Os túneis foram perfurados com os joelhos flexionados a 90, 110 e 130 graus de flexão, através do portal anteromedial acessório, com uma broca de 2,5mm. Os estudos estatísticos foram realizadas pela análise de variância de Friedman e pelo teste de Mann-Whitney. RESULTADO: A média dos comprimentos dos túneis femorais anteromediais medidos com os joelhos flexionados a 90, 110 e 130 graus foram 33,7 ± 3,72mm, 37,4 ± 2,93mm e 38,8 ± 3,31mm, respectivamente. Para o comprimento dos túneis posterolaterais, os resultados obtidos a 90, 110 e 130 graus foram 32,1 ± 4,24mm, 37,3 ± 4,85mm e 38,4 ± 2,51mm, respectivamente. A análise de variância de Friedman mostrou diferença significativa entre os comprimentos dos túneis perfurados com 90 e 110 graus de flexão das peças, porém não mostrou diferença significativa entre os obtidos com flexão de 110e 130 graus (p < 0,05). CONCLUSÃO: É possível perfurar os túneis femorais através do portal anteromedial acessório com o joelho flexionado em 110º, de maneira a obter um túnel com comprimento suficiente para uma boa interface enxerto-osso.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to evaluate the effect that knee flexion angle while femoral tunnels are being drilled may have on the length of these tunnels, in anatomical reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament. METHODS: We measured the lengths of anteromedial and posterolateral tunnels for the anterior cruciate ligament in 20 unpaired anatomical knee specimens (10 right and 10 left knees), all with the cartilage and cruciate ligaments intact. Tunnels were drilled with the knees flexed at 90º, 110º and 130º, through the accessory anteromedial portal, with a 2.5 mm drill. The statistical analysis was done by means of Friedman's variance analysis and the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: The mean anteromedial femoral tunnel lengths measured with the knees flexed at 90º, 110º and 130º were 33.7 (± 3.72) mm, 37.4 (± 2.93) mm and 38.8 (± 3.31) mm, respectively. For the posterolateral femoral tunnel lengths, the results were 32.1 (± 4.24) mm, 37.3 (± 4.85) mm and 38.4 (± 2.51) mm, respectively. Friedman's variance analysis showed that there was a significant difference between the lengths of the tunnels drilled with 90º and 110º of flexion angle, but showed that there was no significant difference between the tunnels drilled with flexion of 110º and 130º (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to drill the femoral tunnels through the accessory anteromedial tunnel with the knee flexed at 110º in such a way as to produce a tunnel of sufficient length for a good bone-graft interface.