Anterior meniscotibial ligament (Lateral meniscus)

At a glance

English

Anterior meniscotibial ligament (Lateral meniscus)

Latin (TA2)

Ligamentum meniscotibiale anterius (Meniscus lateralis)

System

Ligament

Region

Lower limb

Side

Paired, left and right

About the anterior meniscotibial ligament (lateral meniscus)

The lateral meniscus is a nearly circular crescent of fibrocartilage lying on the lateral condyle of the tibia. Its two ends, the anterior and posterior horns, lie close together near the middle of the joint and are fixed to the bone by short, strong roots. The anterior meniscotibial ligament of the lateral meniscus is the root of the anterior horn. It attaches to the anterior intercondylar area of the tibia, in front of the lateral intercondylar tubercle and just lateral and posterior to the tibial attachment of the anterior cruciate ligament, with whose fibres it partly blends.

In front, the anterior horns of the two menisci are often linked by the transverse ligament of the knee. Around its outer edge the lateral meniscus is attached to the margin of the tibial condyle only by loose capsular fibres, and it has no attachment to the lateral collateral ligament, from which the tendon of popliteus separates it. As a result the lateral meniscus is more mobile than the medial one.

Firm horn attachments let the meniscus work as a hoop. When the femur presses down, the wedge-shaped meniscus is pushed outwards, and the anchored horns turn this push into tension around its circumference, spreading the load over a wider area of the tibia. A torn or avulsed root breaks the hoop: the meniscus slips outwards and the joint behaves almost as if it had no meniscus. Because this root lies so close to the ACL, it can be damaged when a tibial tunnel is drilled during ACL reconstruction.

Attachments and function

Attaches from

Anterior horn of the lateral meniscus.

Attaches to

Anterior intercondylar area of the tibia, in front of the lateral intercondylar tubercle, beside and partly blending with the attachment of the ACL.

Function

Anchors the anterior horn to the tibia so that load on the meniscus is converted into hoop tension.

Nerve supply

Articular branches to the knee from the tibial, common fibular, femoral and obturator nerves.

Blood supply

Genicular branches of the popliteal artery, which supply the attachments of the meniscal horns.