Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic & Related Surgery
Original ArticleAn Anatomic Study of the Iliotibial Tract
Section snippets
Methods
Ten fresh cadaver knees, with ages ranging from 33 to 66 years and with no previous pathology or injury identifiable, have been dissected. From those, 9 were men and 1 was a woman (9 right knees and 1 left knee). All dissections were made at the Death Verification Service in São Paulo City. Data for corpses have been recorded, such as initial letters of the names, gender, height, weight, and age, with photographic documentation being performed for each dissection. The results of that research
Results
The results of our anatomic study have been described by means of layers, from the superficial layer to the deep layer, and across its various insertions.
Discussion
The lateral compartment of the knee extends from the lateral portion of the patellar tendon to the posterior cruciate ligament.12 In this compartment, we noticed ligament and musculotendinous components that are essential to both static and dynamic stability of the joint. The ITT plays an important role in this function.
After a detailed study of the ITT’s macroscopic structure, we could see its importance as a static and dynamic stabilizer for the knee. Because of its insertion at the linea
Conclusions
The ITT has important interconnctions to the femur, the patella, and the lateral tibia. The iliopatellar band joins the ITT to the patella through the superficial oblique retinaculum and the lateral femoropatellar ligament. The ITT capsular-osseous layer presents differentiated fibers in an arched arrangement that borders the femoral condyle and inserts laterally to the Gerdy’s tubercle.11, 13
Acknowledgment
The authors thank Paulo Roberto Godoy for the illustrations of the anatomic dissections.
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The authors report no conflict of interest.