MPFL Anatomy

This section describes the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) anatomy, including the femoral and patellar insertion sites.

General Description

The MPFL attaches at the medial epicondyle of the femur to the proximal part of the medial border of the patella.

  • Femoral insertion: attaches to the anterior aspect of the medial epicondyle, and the superior aspect of the MCL was in direct contact with the most inferior edge of the MPFL. Width (proximal to distal) is 15.4 mm (range, 11-20 mm) [SDM04]. The area of insertion site is 25.9 mm^2 (range, 22.7-29.2 mm^2) [KCM+18].
  • Patellar insertion: The vertical distance from the superior pole of the patella to the level of the superior edge of the MPFL is 6.1 mm (range, 0-13 mm). The vertical distance from the superior pole to the inferior edge of the MPFL is 23.1 mm (range, 15-29 mm). Width (proximal to distal) is 17 mm (range, 14-20 mm) [SDM04]. The area of patellar insertion site is 37.6 mm^2 (range, 26-49.2 mm^2) [KCM+18].
  • Length: 56.6 mm (range, 54.2-58.8 mm) [KCM+18].
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Fig. 21 The MPFL anatomy for a right knee [KCM+18].

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Fig. 22 Medial view of a left knee showing the patellar insertion site of MPFL (green) relative to the patellar articular cartilage (dotted line) [KCM+18].

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Fig. 23 Coronal and sagittal views of a left knee showing the positioning of the center of attachment of MPFL relative to the surgical relevant landmarks [KCM+18].

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Fig. 25 Radiographic measurements of the distances between MPFL attachment center and pertinent anatomic osseous landmarks on the femur on coronal and sagittal view [KCM+18].

[SDM04](1, 2) Robert N. Steensen, Ryan M. Dopirak, and William G. Mcdonald. The Anatomy and Isometry of Themedial Patellofemoral Ligament: Implications for Reconstruction. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 32(6):1509–1513, September 2004. URL: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0363546503261505, doi:10.1177/0363546503261505.

[KCM+18](1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) Bradley M. Kruckeberg, Jorge Chahla, Gilbert Moatshe, Mark E. Cinque, Kyle J. Muckenhirn, Jonathan A. Godin, Taylor J. Ridley, Alex W. Brady, Elizabeth A. Arendt, and Robert F. LaPrade. Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of the Medial Patellar Ligaments: An Anatomic and Radiographic Study , Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of the Medial Patellar Ligaments: An Anatomic and Radiographic Study. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 46(1):153–162, January 2018. URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/0363546517729818, doi:10.1177/0363546517729818.