Posteromedial corner of the knee: MR imaging with gross anatomic correlation.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to illustrate the magnetic resonance (MR) image appearance of the structures of the posteromedial "corner" of the knee with particular emphasis on the anatomy and differentiation between the medial collateral ligament and the posterior oblique ligament.

DESIGN

Six cadaveric knee specimens underwent MR imaging, before and following instillation of intra-articular contrast material. The knees were sectioned in the axial, coronal, and coronal oblique planes and the gross morphology of the posteromedial corner and surrounding structures was studied and correlated with the MR images.

PATIENTS

The human cadaveric specimens were from two female and four male patients (age at death, 72-86 years; average, 78 years).

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The contrast-enhanced sequences and the coronal oblique images allowed for improved visualization of the structures.