HOME HELP CONTACT US SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Cooper, D. E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Cooper, D. E. Related Collections Knee

Snapping Popliteus Tendon Syndrome

A Cause of Mechanical Knee Popping in Athletes

W. B. Carrell Memorial Clinic, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas

* Address correspondence and reprint requests to Daniel E. Cooper, MD, W. B. Carrell Memorial Clinic, 2909 Lemmon Avenue, Dallas, TX 75204

Six patients with snapping in the knee were evaluated with clinical history, examination, radiographs, and other imaging. All patients were younger than 40 years and none had an arthritic process. Onset was traumatic in three patients, spontaneous in two, and postsurgical in one. The popping was on the direct lateral aspect of the knee. A consistent examination finding was that the popping was more prominent when the knee was loaded with varus stress during passive flexion and extension cycling, and that it was easily palpated midway between the lateral epicondyle and lateral joint line. Four patients were treated nonoperatively and two had operations. Of those treated without surgery, two had spontaneous resolution of the popping, in one the popping persisted, although not symptomatic enough to require surgery, and one had surgery later. In the surgical group, one patient was treated with popliteus tendon release and one with tenodesis of the popliteus tendon to the fibular collateral ligament. Both procedures were curative and neither led to complicating problems. Follow-up information was not available for the patient with late surgery. Snapping of the popliteus tendon should be recognized as a cause of lateral popping in the knee. It is easily confused with more common sources of mechanical symptoms. Awareness will allow accurate diagnosis and treatment, avoiding unnecessary diagnostic arthroscopy.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				V. Khoury, E. Cardinal, and N. J. Bureau Musculoskeletal Sonography: A Dynamic Tool for Usual and Unusual Disorders Am. J. Roentgenol., January 1, 2007; 188(1): W63 - W73. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. R. Bach Jr and K. Minihane Subluxating Biceps Femoris Tendon: An Unusual Case of Lateral Knee Pain in a Soccer Athlete: A Case Report Am. J. Sports Med., January 1, 2001; 29(1): 93 - 95. [Full Text] [PDF]