Functions and Attachments of the anterior horn, posterior horn, and middle boarder of medial meniscus

The medial meniscus is an important primary stabilizer and weight-transmitter in the knee joint. It preforms an important function in limiting knee motion. The medial meniscus consists of three main parts. Each part has its own function and together the three parts make up the medial meniscus function. 

The three parts are:

1- anterior horn

2- posterior horn

3- peripheral border 

How do they function together?

The anterior horn of the medial meniscus carries most of the load during the first 30-A˚ of  the knee flexion, and after that the posterior horn carries most of the load. The anterior horn after 30 degrees of the knee flexion plays an important role in controlling the anterior femoral displacement. The peripheral border distributes the weight during the transition of force from the anterior horn to the posterior horn. 

A new study suggested that the attachments of the three parts of the of the medial meniscus are associated with the function and any abnormality in the attachment locations may decrease the quality of the function.

Anterior horn, posterior horn, and peripheral border attachments

 The anterior horn of the medial meniscus is attached to the anterior tibial intercondyler area anterior to the anterior cruciate ligament showing in fig. 1. and the posterior fibres of the anterior horn are continuous with the transvers ligament. The posterior horn is fixed with the posterior tibial intercondyler area, between the attachment of the lateral meniscus and the posterior cruciate ligament showing in fig. 2. The peripheral border is attached to the fibrous capsule and the deep surface of the medial collateral ligament. The tibial attachment is known as the coronary ligament. Together these attachments limit the movement of the medial meniscus and make it relatively more fixed and limited in movements than the lateral meniscus .

Fig. 1 The attachment of the anterior horn of the medial meniscus  indicated by the black arrow. Fig. 2 The attachment of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus indicated by the black arrow.