Cuevas-Ramos Gabriel, Cova Melanie, Arguelles David, Prades Marta
Université de Toulouse, Equine Surgery Department, École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, Toulouse 31076, France.
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Equine Clinic, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona 08193, Spain.
J Vet Sci. 2019 Jul;20(4):e36. doi: 10.4142/jvs.2019.20.e36.
The function of the popliteal muscle and tendon in horses remains undescribed. In humans, it is considered a stabilizer of the posterior-lateral region of the knee; its function is closely related to that of the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) and meniscus. The popliteal tendon (PopT) constitutes the main proximal attachment of the popliteus muscle to the femur, and in humans, insertional variations have been described. Knowledge of anatomical variations is needed for the correct interpretation of diagnostic images and arthroscopic findings. To elucidate further the anatomy of the equine PopT, both hind limbs of 30 horses were dissected. Similar to humans, the equine PopT has 3 variants (types I, II, and III) depending on the number of components forming the tendon. Additionally, the area of insertion varies; the location can be either cranial, underneath, or caudal to the proximal insertion of the LCL. Furthermore, the PopT has a constant attachment to the lateral meniscus. The results of the present study are useful for clinicians working with equine orthopedics, as the tendon and insertional variants could affect the interpretation of diagnostic images and arthroscopic examinations.
马的腘肌和肌腱的功能尚未得到描述。在人类中，它被认为是膝关节后外侧区域的稳定器；其功能与外侧副韧带（LCL）和半月板密切相关。腘肌腱（PopT）构成了腘肌在股骨上的主要近端附着点，在人类中，已经描述了其插入变异情况。正确解读诊断图像和关节镜检查结果需要了解解剖变异。为了进一步阐明马PopT的解剖结构，对30匹马的双后肢进行了解剖。与人类相似，马的PopT根据构成肌腱的成分数量有3种变异类型（I型、II型和III型）。此外，插入区域也有所不同；其位置可以在LCL近端插入点的前方、下方或后方。此外，PopT与外侧半月板有固定附着。本研究结果对从事马整形外科的临床医生有用，因为肌腱和插入变异可能会影响诊断图像和关节镜检查的解读。
