LCL Anatomy

This section describes the LCL anatomy, including the femoral and fibular insertion sites.

General Description

  • Femoral insertion: slightly superior and posterior to the lateral femoral epicondyle. There is a small bony depression that the ligament inserts into. The insertion area is approximately 48 mm^2 (range, 43 to 52 mm^2):cite:laprade_posterolateral_2003.
  • Fibular insertion: Attaches to the lateral aspect of the fibular head. The insertion is approximately 28.4 mm (range 25.1 to 30.6 mm) from the apex of the fibular head. The insertion area is approximately 43 mm^2 (range, 39 to 50 mm^2) [LLWE03].
  • Length: 69.6 mm (range, 62.6 to 73.5) [LLWE03].
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Fig. 13 The LCL (labeled fibular collateral ligament) anatomy for a right knee [LLWE03].

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Fig. 14 The LCL (labeled FCL) anatomy for a right knee [LLWE03].

[LLWE03](1, 2, 3, 4) Robert F. LaPrade, Thuan V. Ly, Fred A. Wentorf, and Lars Engebretsen. The posterolateral attachments of the knee. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 31(6):854–860, 2003. URL: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/03635465030310062101.