Upcoming Events
Log In
Pricing
Free Trial

Wk 2, Case 5 - Review

HIDE
PrevNext

0:00

Okay,

0:01

the history on this one is 28-year-old

0:04

with anterior knee pain.

0:06

Query, meniscus tear.

0:08

Okay, stay with the same theme.

0:10

Axial.

0:13

Patellar shape, pretty good.

0:16

Trochlear groove, pretty good.

0:18

Lateral ridge, pretty good.

0:19

Medial ridge, pretty good.

0:20

Medial peripatellar plica, present.

0:22

Not uncommon.

0:23

That's normal.

0:24

Medial retinaculum, superficial.

0:27

And Medial Patellofemoral ligament,

0:29

a little bit laminated,

0:30

a little bit thickened,

0:32

but still present.

0:33

Lateral retinaculum, present.

0:35

Popliteal fossa, normal.

0:38

MCL, visible.

0:41

Popliteus tendon and the popliteus hiatus, visible.

0:44

And here's your fibular collateral ligament,

0:46

which will combine with the biceps

0:48

to form the conjoint.

0:50

There is your oblique popliteal ligament,

0:54

which forms the capsule in the midline

0:55

and connects to the other side.

0:58

Let's look at our sagittal now,

1:00

keeping with our same theme,

1:02

axial to sagittal,

1:04

we go to the sagittal.

1:06

Menisci, normal.

1:08

Anterior cruciate, normal.

1:10

Posterior cruciate, normal.

1:12

A little bit of induration of

1:15

the retropatellar space.

1:16

Very common in young individuals due to maltracking.

1:19

And the major finding,

1:21

look for the swelling is here.

1:23

This case is all about what's going

1:26

on on the front end.

1:27

This patient has delamination of the prepatellar plate,

1:32

which is the contiguation or continuation of

1:36

the rectus femoris fibers of the quadriceps

1:40

over the top of the patella.

1:43

Much like you have the

1:44

rectus abdominis fibers continuing over

1:47

the top of the synthesis pubis.

1:50

But these fibers have detached.

1:53

This is actually a four or five layered structure

1:57

with at least three and sometimes four bristle

1:59

layers, which we don't often think about.

2:02

This patient has delaminated the prepatellar plate.

2:05

The treatment is conservative.

2:07

This is probably something

2:08

you haven't seen before.

2:09

It's important to comment on the status

2:11

of the quadriceps, normal.

2:13

The status of the patellar tendon, normal.

Report

Patient History
28-year-old man with knee pain. Query meniscus tear.

Findings
Menisci:

Medial Meniscus: Intact.

Lateral Meniscus: Intact.

Ligaments:

Anterior Cruciate Ligament: Intact.

Posterior Cruciate Ligament: Intact. Mildly lax and slightly swollen proximally.

Medial Collateral Ligament: Intact.

Lateral Collateral Ligament: Intact.

Posterolateral Corner Structures: Intact.

Extensor Mechanism:

Patellar Tendon: Intact and unremarkable.

Distal Quadriceps Tendon: Intact quadriceps tendon. Extensive prepatellar plate delamination with surrounding high signal edema and thickened edematous prepatellar bursa. No bursal effusion.

Medial Patellofemoral Ligament: Intact.

Medial and Lateral Patellar Retinacula: Slightly thickened lateral patellar retinaculum. Slightly lax medial patellar retinaculum.

Hoffa Fat Pad: Mild edema within the superolateral aspect of Hoffa’s fat pad, suggesting a degree of lateral patellar impingement.

Articulations:

Patellofemoral Compartment: Wiberg type 2 patella. No trochlear dysplasia. Mild lateral patellar tilt. No patellar subluxation. Normal TT-TG distance mesuring 1.0cm. Preservation of the patellofemoral cartilage.

Medial Compartment: Normal.

Lateral Compartment: Normal.

General:

Bones: Normal.

Effusion: None.

Baker’s Cyst: None.

Neuovascular: Normal.

Loose Bodies: None.

Conclusions
1. Extensive prepatellar plate delamination with surrounding active inflammation and prepatellar bursitis.

2. Patellar tendon-lateral femoral condyle friction syndrome (Hoffa fat pad impingement syndrome) related to patellofemoral maltracking.

3. No meniscus tear.

Case Discussion

Faculty

Stephen J Pomeranz, MD

Chief Medical Officer, ProScan Imaging. Founder, MRI Online

ProScan Imaging

Jenny T Bencardino, MD

Vice-Chair, Academic Affairs Department of Radiology

Montefiore Radiology

Edward Smitaman, MD

Clinical Associate Professor

University of California San Diego

Tags

Musculoskeletal (MSK)

MRI

Knee

© 2025 Medality. All Rights Reserved.

Contact UsTerms of UsePrivacy Policy