Transverse ligament of knee
Ligamentum transversum genus
A short band at the front of the knee joint joining the anterior ends of the medial and lateral menisci.
At a glance
- English
- Transverse ligament of knee
- Latin (TA2)
- Ligamentum transversum genus
- System
- Ligament
- Region
- Lower limb
- Side
- Paired, left and right
About the transverse ligament of knee
The transverse ligament of the knee, also called the anterior meniscomeniscal ligament, is a small band inside the joint that connects the two menisci at the front. It runs from the rounded front edge of the lateral meniscus across to the front end, or horn, of its medial partner. It lies in front of the tibial attachment of the anterior cruciate ligament and is embedded in the back of the infrapatellar fat pad, behind the patellar ligament.
Its size varies a good deal from person to person. In some knees it is a single stout cord, in others it is split into several strands, and in many it is thin or missing altogether. It is the most frequent of the bands that join the two menisci; the others, a posterior transverse band joining the rear horns and medial and lateral oblique bands running between the cruciate ligaments, are uncommon and of no known function.
When the knee straightens, the femoral condyles roll forwards and press on the menisci. The transverse ligament ties the front horns together so that they are not pushed forwards out of the joint and so that the menisci move as a linked pair. It also limits the forward and backward travel of the medial meniscus at its front horn when the knee is only slightly bent.
The ligament is relevant mainly in imaging and arthroscopy. On MRI its junction with the lateral meniscus can mimic a tear of the meniscal front horn, a well-known false lesion. It appears early in development, forming alongside the menisci in the embryonic knee as the joint cavity takes shape.
Attachments and function
- Attaches from
- The convex front edge of the lateral meniscus.
- Attaches to
- The front horn of the medial meniscus.
- Function
- Links the anterior horns of the two menisci, stops them being pushed forwards in extension and limits movement of the medial anterior horn.
- Blood supply
- Small branches of the genicular arteries through the infrapatellar fat pad.
Anthromica
See the transverse ligament of knee where it really sits, with every layer of the body around it.
- Every layer, one body. Peel from muscle to bone, nerve, vessel and organ, and turn it any way.
- English and Latin. Every structure named the way your exam names it.
- Quiz until it sticks. Short drills on the structures you keep missing.
Free to start. No card.
