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Semimembranosus-tibial collateral ligament bursitis

Case contributed by Roberto Schubert
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Pain in the postero-medial knee. Suspected meniscopathy.

Patient Data

Age: 25 years
Gender: Male

There is a fluid collection around the semimembranosus tendon and behind the tibial collateral ligament at the joint space level. Some degenerative signal changes of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus can be seen on T1-weighted images.

Case Discussion

The SMTCL bursa has the shape of an inverted U with a proximal deep pocket and a distal superficial pocket forming the two arms of the U. On both coronal and sagittal images, the proximal pole of the SMTCL bursa can be seen abutting the medial meniscus 1.
This bursa must be differentiated from the anserine bursa, which lies more distally, anteriorly, and superficially.

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