Unique Anatomic Feature of the Posterior Cruciate Ligament in Knees Associated With Osteochondritis Dissecans

Abstract

Background: Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the knee is a disorder in juveniles and young adults; however, its etiology still remains unclear. For OCD at the medial femoral condyle (MFC), it is sometimes observed that the lesion has a connection with fibers of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). Although this could be important information related to the etiology of MFC OCD, there is no report examining an association between the MFC OCD and the PCL anatomy. Purpose: To investigate the anatomic features of knees associated with MFC OCD, focusing especially on the femoral attachment of the PCL, and to compare them with knees associated with lateral femoral condyle (LFC) OCD and non-OCD lesions. Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 39 patients (46 knees) with OCD lesions who had undergone surgical treatment. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, the PCL attachment at the lateral wall of the MFC was measured on the coronal sections, and the knee flexion angle was also measured on the sagittal sections. As with non-OCD knees, we reviewed and analyzed 25 knees with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries and 16 knees with meniscal injuries. Results: MRIs revealed that the femoral PCL footprint was located in a significantly more distal position in the patients with MFC OCD compared with patients with LFC OCD and ACL and meniscal injuries. There was no significant difference in knee flexion angle among the 4 groups. Conclusion: The PCL in patients with MFC OCD attached more distally at the lateral aspect of the MFC compared with knees with LFC OCD and ACL and meniscal injuries.