Courtesy: Prof Nabil Ebraheim, University of Toledo, Ohio, USA
BLOOD SUPPLY OF STRUCTURES OF THE KNEE
- There are 2 main sources that supply the structures of the knee ; the Popliteal artery and the Anterior tibial artery.
ANTERIOR TIBIAL ARTERY
a) Recurrent branch of anterior Tibial artery – close to the tibial tubercle
Applied anatomy – fracture of tibial tubercle causes injury to this branch and can cause compartment syndrome
POPLITEAL ARTERY
Has 5 branches
a) Medical superior genicular artery
b) Lateral superior genicular artery
c) Medial inferior genicular artery
d) Lateral inferior genicular artery
e) Middle genicular artery
Applied anatomy –
- The outer part (20%-30%) of medial and lateral menisci heals better due to blood supply from the medial and lateral inferior genicular artery
- The posterior horns of the menisci are supplied by the middle genicular artery
- Majority of the meniscus is avascular
- Medial inferior and lateral inferior genicular artery supplies the infrapatellar fat pad and the patellar tendon
- ACL and PCL is supplied by the middle genicular artery
- The medial and lateral superior genicular artery supplies the medial and lateral retinaculum
Applied anatomy – the lateral superior genicular artery is at risk of injury during the lateral retinacular release
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