Anterior transverse ligament of the knee: MR imaging and anatomic study using clinical and cadaveric material with emphasis on its contribution to meniscal tears

Purpose To study the anatomy of the anterior transverse ligament of the knee (TL) and to correlate its presence with the occurrence of meniscal tears. Patients MR imaging studies of the knee performed over a 1-year period in 49 patients were reviewed by two readers in consensus for the presence and morphology of the TL. Ten cadaveric specimens underwent MR imaging and sectioning for anatomic and histological study. Results and Conclusion The TL is a frequent anatomical structure that usually connects the leading edge of the core of the anterior horn of the MM, to the external portion of the anterior horn of the LM, and in many instances with the ligamentum muscosum. There is an association between the presence of a TL attachment and the presence of tears in the MM.