Arthroscopic Reconstruction of the Ligamentum Teres: A Guide to Safe Tunnel Placement

To provide a quantitative guide to tunnel placement concurrently through the femur and acetabulum during a ligamentum teres reconstruction, minimizing the risk of injury to the obturator neurovascular bundle.

Nine human cadaveric pelvises, complete with femurs (mean age, 59.6 years; age range, 47-65 years), were studied. Before dissection, a 3-dimensional coordinate-measuring device was used to record the neutral orientation of the femur in the acetabulum. The specimens were then dissected free of all extra-articular soft tissue, except for the ligamentum teres and the obturator neurovascular bundle, and digitized. An anatomic femoral reconstruction tunnel through the femoral neck was simulated and extended along its axis into the acetabulum. The femur was digitally rotated internally from 0° to 30° and externally from 0° to 40°, as well as abducted from 0° to 30° and adducted from 0° to 20°, in increments of 1°. At each position, the location of the simulated acetabular reconstruction tunnel was measured with respect to the obturator bundle and the edge of the acetabular fossa.

The anatomic reconstruction tunnel entered the lateral side of the femur at a mean distance of 7.0 mm distal and 5.8 mm anterior to the center of the vastus ridge. By angling the femur at 15° of internal rotation and 15° of abduction, the obturator neurovascular bundle was avoided in 100% of specimens.

The most important finding of this study was that a ligamentum teres reconstruction tunnel could be reamed through the femoral neck and safely positioned in the acetabulum by angling the femur at 15° of internal rotation and 15° of abduction.

These quantitative descriptions of the ligamentum teres reconstruction tunnels can be used to guide arthroscopic surgical interventions designed to address ligamentum teres pathology.