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Transverse ligament of knee

The transverse ligament of the knee, also called the anterior transverse ligament, is a small but important fibrous band in the anterior aspect of the knee joint. It connects the anterior margins of the medial and lateral menisci, stabilizing their movement during knee flexion and extension. Although relatively thin and less studied compared to cruciate or collateral ligaments, it plays a vital role in meniscal biomechanics and knee stability.

Synonyms

  • Anterior transverse ligament

  • Transverse genicular ligament

  • Meniscal transverse ligament

Attachments

  • Medial attachment: Anterior horn of the medial meniscus

  • Lateral attachment: Anterior horn of the lateral meniscus

Course

  • Runs horizontally across the anterior intercondylar area of the tibia

  • Lies in front of the anterior horns of the menisci

  • May be absent in some individuals (anatomical variation)

Relations

  • Anteriorly: Joint capsule and synovial lining

  • Posteriorly: Anterior horns of the medial and lateral menisci

  • Superiorly: Femoral condyles in extension

  • Inferiorly: Tibial plateau at the anterior intercondylar area

  • Laterally: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) lies just posterior and lateral to it

Nerve Supply

  • Supplied by articular branches of the tibial nerve and obturator nerve through the knee joint capsule

Arterial Supply

  • Genicular branches of the popliteal artery

  • Recurrent branches of the anterior tibial artery

Venous Drainage

  • Corresponding genicular veins draining into the popliteal vein

Function

  • Connects the anterior horns of the medial and lateral menisci

  • Prevents excessive anterior displacement and separation of the menisci during knee motion

  • Assists in maintaining congruency between femoral condyles and tibial plateau

  • Contributes to joint stability during extension and rotation movements

Clinical Significance

  • May be injured with meniscal or ACL tears

  • Important landmark in knee arthroscopy

  • Variants or absence can influence meniscal mobility and predispose to meniscal injury

  • Can be mistaken for pathological intra-articular tissue on imaging

MRI Appearance

T1-weighted images:

  • Ligament appears as a low-signal linear band crossing the anterior joint space

  • Surrounded by bright fat and intermediate meniscal tissue

T2-weighted images:

  • Ligament remains low signal

  • Tears or degeneration appear as focal bright signal intensity within or around it

STIR (Short Tau Inversion Recovery):

  • Normal ligament is dark (low signal)

  • Pathology or inflammation shows bright signal intensity

Proton Density Fat-Saturated (PD FS):

  • Normal ligament appears as a dark band

  • Injury or sprain appears as focal or diffuse bright signal

T1 Fat-Sat Post-Contrast:

  • Normal ligament shows no significant enhancement

  • Pathology (inflammation, synovitis, post-traumatic changes) may show surrounding enhancement

CT Appearance

Non-Contrast CT:

  • Ligament itself is not well seen; inferred as a thin soft tissue band in anterior joint

  • High-resolution CT may show it as a subtle low-density line across anterior menisci

  • Associated calcifications (rare) may be seen at attachments

Post-Contrast CT:

  • Ligament does not enhance directly

  • Surrounding synovial or inflammatory processes may show enhancement

  • CT arthrography demonstrates the ligament more clearly as a thin band connecting anterior horns of menisci

MRI images

Transverse ligament of knee anatomy image

MRI images

Transverse ligament of knee radiology anatomy image mri 3t

CT image

Transverse ligament of knee ct axial image