Anatomy and Biomechanics of the Posterolateral Corner of the Knee

Abstract

Because of the developmental phylogeny that has occurred owing to the initial articulation of the fibula with the femur and its eventual descent over time to articulate with the tibia, the anatomy of the posterolateral aspect of the knee is more complex than the medial side. In addition, in lower species, there is a meniscus between the articulation of the femur and the fibular head. It has been speculated that this meniscus may have eventually evolved into the popliteus attachment to the fibular styloid (popliteofibular ligament) or the popliteus tendon. In addition, the popliteus complex and the biceps femoris complex in lower species are noted to have attachments around the knee that are different from those found in humans. These anatomic differences have made the posterolateral aspect of the knee more complex and less thoroughly studied than the medial aspect of the knee in terms of both its anatomy and biomechanics.