What is the arcuate sign?
The arcuate sign indicates an avulsion fracture of the head of the fibula at the insertion site of the arcuate ligament complex (Figure) and is considered to be a sign indicative of injury to the pos- terolateral corner of the knee (1,2).
What is arcuate fracture?
The arcuate sign is often a subtle but important finding on knee x-rays and represents an avulsion fracture of the proximal fibula at the site of insertion of the arcuate ligament complex, and is usually associated with cruciate ligament injury (~90% of cases) 2.
What is the arcuate ligament complex?
The arcuate ligament is part of the posterolateral ligamentous complex of the knee that is variably present, being found in ~65% (range 47.9-71%) of knees.
Where is the arcuate ligament?
The median arcuate ligament is a band of tissue shaped like an arc in the lower part of your chest. It passes over the aorta — a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart. When you have MALS, this ligament sits lower than usual and presses on the celiac artery.
What is PCL avulsion fracture?
Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) avulsion fractures are a type of avulsion fracture of the knee that represent the most common isolated PCL lesion. This typically involves the separation of the posterior tibial insertion of the PCL to variable degrees.
What does avulsion mean in medical terms?
Avulsion: Tearing away. A nerve can be avulsed by an injury, as can part of a bone.
What is the function of the arcuate ligament?
The posterior cruciate ligament and the arcuate ligament have predominant role for the posterolateral stability of the knee. The functional restoration of these ligaments is an important part of the surgical treatment of posterolateral ligamentous injuries.
What is the arcuate complex of the knee?
The posterolateral ligamentous complex (also known as the arcuate ligamentous complex) of the knee is an important stabilizer and consists of a number of structures. Depending on the publication/definition more or less of the following structures are included 1-4: lateral (fibular) collateral ligament.