Abstract
The syndrome of the snapping popliteus tendon is a rare cause of lateral knee pain
and may be difficult to diagnose, leading to patients undergoing inappropriate therapy
or surgical intervention. In this report, we describe the arthroscopic findings of
the snapping popliteus tendon. Two men and 1 woman presented complaining of pain and
a snapping sensation at the lateral aspect of the knee. No clear traumatic history
was reported by any of the patients. Two patients had previously undergone partial
lateral meniscectomy without relief of their symptoms. While the only consistently
positive clinical sign was the Cabot sign, the arthroscopic findings confirmed the
diagnosis in all cases. We observed in all cases inflammation around the tendon and
visualized the portion of popliteus tendon near its insertion that is usually hidden
by the femoral condyle. Further, flexion and extension with the limb in the tailor
position revealed the snapping popliteus tendon. Successful treatment was achieved
by securing the popliteus tendon to its sulcus on the lateral femoral condyle. Arthroscopic
examination helps the surgeon to identify the snapping popliteus tendon to better
treat this simple, yet oftentimes perplexing, condition.
Key Words
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to ArthroscopyAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Snapping popliteal tendon as a source of lateral knee pain.Scand J Med Sci Sports. 1998; 8: 243-244
- Snapping popliteus tendon syndrome. A cause of mechanical knee popping in athletes.Am J Sports Med. 1999; 27: 671-674
- Osteophyte impingement of the popliteus tendon as a cause of lateral knee joint pain.Knee. 2002; 9: 249-252
- Bilateral subluxating popliteus tendons. A case report.Am J Sports Med. 1999; 27: 376-379
- Diagnostic evaluation of the knee.(Telger TC, trans)in: Springer-Verlag, Berlin1990: 178-179
- The effects of a popliteus muscle load on in situ forces in the posterior cruciate ligament and on knee kinematics. A human cadaveric study.Am J Sports Med. 1998; 26: 669-673
- Effects of sectioning the posterolateral structures on knee kinematics and in situ forces in the posterior cruciate ligament.Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2000; 8: 93-98
- The magnetic resonance imaging appearance of individual structures of the posterolateral knee. A prospective study of normal knees and knees with surgically verified grade III injuries.Am J Sports Med. 2000; 28: 191-199
- Kinematic MR imaging of the knee.Semin Musculoskelet Radiol. 2001; 5: 153-157
- Sonographic imaging of the posterolateral structures of the knee.Arthroscopy. 2002; 18: 872-881
Article info
Identification
Copyright
© 2005 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
