Arterial supply to the tibial tuberosity: involvement in patellar ligament transfer in children
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A Hamel1, S Ploteau, M Lancien
1Laboratoire d'Anatomie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Nantes, 1, rue Gaston Veil, 44035 Nantes cedex, France. antoine.hamel@chu-nantes.fr
Purpose:
The aims were to study arterial blood supply of the tibial tuberosity, and to evaluate its remaining blood supply after patellar ligament transposition in children.
Methods:
The anatomic study was carried out on 15 lower limbs after latex injection, and on two fetuses after diaphanization.
Results:
Tibial tuberosity was vascularized by an arterial network mainly supplied by anterior tibial recurrent artery. Other arteries from the popliteal artery or its branches were also involved in the tibial tuberosity blood supply.
Conclusions:
Our findings confirm the safety of transposition of patellar ligament in children due to dense arterial network supplying tibial tuberosity.
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