The transverse or
nteriormeniscomeniscal ligament is a
ligament in the
knee joint that connects the anterior convex margin of the
lateral meniscus
The lateral meniscus (external semilunar fibrocartilage) is a fibrocartilaginous band that spans the lateral side of the interior of the knee joint. It is one of two menisci of the knee, the other being the medial meniscus. It is nearly circula ...
to the anterior end of the
medial meniscus
The medial meniscus is a fibrocartilage semicircular band that spans the knee joint medially, located between the medial condyle of the femur and the medial condyle of the tibia.Platzer (2004), p 208 It is also referred to as the internal semi ...
.
It is divided into several strips in ten percent of subjects and its thickness varies considerably in different subjects.
Function
When the knee is being extended the ligament prevents the anterior horns of the menisci from moving forward, and the condylar surfaces of the femur and tibia from exerting pressure on the menisci.
It has a restricting effect on anterior-posterior excursion of the anterior horn of the medial meniscus at lower degrees of knee flexion.
Prevalence of meniscomeniscal ligaments
The transverse ligament is reported in 58 per cent of subjects and is thus the most prevalent of four described meniscomeniscal ligaments. The other ligaments, all three of which are reported with a frequency of less than 4 per cent, are the ''posterior'' transverse ligament, described as a bundle of fibers connecting the posterior horns of the menisci; and the ''medial'' and ''lateral oblique ligaments'', both of which originate on the anterior horn of their namesake meniscus, passes between the cruciate ligaments, and attaches to the posterior horn of the opposite meniscus. None of the oblique ligaments have a known function.
Formation
The formation of the transverse ligament has been investigated in
human embryo
Human embryonic development, or human embryogenesis, is the development and formation of the human embryo. It is characterised by the processes of cell division and cellular differentiation of the embryo that occurs during the early stages of ...
s aged 7–8 weeks (stages 18–23). At the early end of the range (stage 19), condensation of the
mesenchymal
Mesenchyme () is a type of loosely organized animal embryonic connective tissue of undifferentiated cells that give rise to most tissues, such as skin, blood or bone. The interactions between mesenchyme and epithelium help to form nearly every ...
interzone of the knee joint (i.e. the area of densely packed cells indicating the location of the future joint) was recognizable, and near the end of the range (stage 22) clearly visible cellular primordium of the ligament connected to both menisci was observed before all major intraarticular elements were finally evident (stage 23).
[Ratajczak (2001), pp 323-31]
Notes
Additional Images
File:Slide2CAC.JPG, Anterior view of knee.
File:Slide1besa.JPG, Knee and tibiofibular joint.Deep dissection. Anterior view.
File:Slide1dada.JPG, Knee joint. Deep dissection. Anterior view.
References
*
*
*
* (PubMed abstract)
*
External links
* ()
*
{{Authority control
Knee ligaments