Arthroscopic visualization of the popliteus tendon

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Knee Arthroscopy
• Anatomy

Background:

• The popliteus musculotendinous unit is crucial for knee stability.
• Accurate visualization during arthroscopy is essential for diagnosing injuries.
• Posterolateral corner injuries often involve the popliteus tendon.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the proportion of the normal popliteus musculotendinous unit visible during standard knee arthroscopy.
• To identify specific anatomical landmarks of the popliteus tendon that are not visualized arthroscopically.

Main Methods:

• Cadaveric knee arthroscopy using standard anterolateral and anteromedial portals.
• Arthroscopic tagging of visualized popliteus tendon portions.
• Post-arthroscopy dissection and measurement of visualized and unvisualized tendon segments, including femoral attachment and musculotendinous junction.

Main Results:

• The mean total popliteus tendon length was 42.0 mm.
• An average of 18.2 mm (43.8%) of the popliteus tendon was visualized arthroscopically.
• The femoral attachment and musculotendinous junction were not visualized in any specimen.

Conclusions:

• Standard knee arthroscopy provides limited visualization of the popliteus tendon, averaging less than 50%.
• The femoral insertion and musculotendinous junction, common sites for popliteus injuries, are not visible arthroscopically.
• Reliance solely on arthroscopic visualization is insufficient for diagnosing popliteus tendon injuries and associated posterolateral corner pathology.