ReviewArthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation2021
Prevalence, Biomechanics, and Pathologies of the Meniscofemoral Ligaments: A Systematic Review.
Review in Arthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- A semimembranosus-related band directed toward the posterior horn of the lateral meniscus: MRI prevalence and relationship to posterior knee stabilizing structures.Skeletal radiology · 2026Article
- Revisiting meniscal anatomical variants of the knee: a high-resolution 7-Tesla MRI study.European radiology · 2026Article
- Lateral meniscus posterior root repair during ACL reconstruction restores knee stability and results in outcomes comparable to isolated ACL reconstruction: A propensity-matched cohort analysis.Journal of experimental orthopaedics · 2026Article
- The meniscofemoral ligaments do not contribute to restriction of posterior tibial translation: A robotic biomechanical analysis.Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2026Article
- Meniscal Transplant using Autologous Semitendinosus Tendon Leads to Clinically Meaningful Quality of Life Improvement: A Case Report.Journal of orthopaedic case reports · 2025Article
- Anatomy of the ligaments of the posterolateral corner of the knee: A narrative literature review.Journal of experimental orthopaedics · 2025Review
- All-Inside Versus Inside-Out Suture Techniques in Athletes Undergoing Arthroscopic Meniscal Repair: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2025Article
- Article
- Anterior Mobility of the Posterior Horn of the Lateral Meniscus Is Associated With Abnormal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings of Anteroinferior Popliteomeniscal Fascicle and Posterosuperior Popliteomeniscal Fascicle as Well as a Clinical History of Catching or Locking Symptoms.Arthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation · 2024Article
- Three-Dimensional Imaging Analysis of the Developmental Process of Posterior Meniscofemoral Ligaments in Rat Embryos.Cells, tissues, organs · 2024Article
- Intrameniscal degeneration and meniscotibial ligament loosening are associated factors with meniscal extrusion of symptomatic discoid lateral meniscus.Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2023Article
- Attachment Type, Thickness, and Volume of the Posterior Meniscofemoral Ligament and Meniscal Pathology.Journal of digital imaging · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeTo systematically review the literature to examine current understanding of the meniscofemoral ligaments (MFLs), their function, their importance in clinical management, and known anatomical variants.
methodsA systematic review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines using PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases. Studies were included if they reported on the biomechanical, radiographic, or arthroscopic evaluation of human MFLs, or if they reported on an anatomical variant. These were then categorized as cadaveric, radiographic, or clinical. Biomechanical, radiographic, patient-reported, and functional outcomes data were recorded.
resultsForty-seven studies were included in the qualitative analysis, and 26 of them were included in the quantitative analysis. Of these, there were 15 cadaveric, 3 arthroscopic, and 9 radiographic studies that reported on the prevalence of MFLs. Overall, when looking at all modalities, the presence of either the anterior or posterior MFL (aMFL, pMFL) has been noted to be 70.8%, with it being the aMFL 17.4% and the pMFL 40.6%. The presence of both ligaments occurs in approximately 17.6% of individuals. Eleven reported on mean MFL length and thickness. When evaluating mean length in both men and women, the aMFL has been reported between 21.6 and 28.3 mm and the pMFL length in this population is between 23.4 and 31.2 mm. Five reported on cross-sectional area. Nine additional papers report anatomical variants.
conclusionsThis review shows that there continues to be a variable incidence of MFLs reported in the literature, but our understanding of their function continues to broaden. A growing number of anatomic and biomechanical studies have demonstrated the importance of the MFLs in supporting knee stability. Specifically, the MFLs serve an important role in protecting the lateral meniscus and augmenting the function of the posterior cruciate ligament. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Our findings will aid the clinician in both identifying and treating pathologies of the meniscofemoral ligaments.
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Registered trials
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