Contrecoup injury (knee)

Last revised by Ayla Al Kabbani on 30 Jul 2022

A contrecoup injury of the knee is a bone contusion of the posterior lip of the medial tibial plateau. It occurs during knee reduction after a pivot shift injury and is highly associated with ACL tears 1, and peripheral tear or meniscocapsular separation of the medial meniscus posterior horn 2.

Occasionally, another bone contusion is seen on the medial margin of the medial femoral condyle, also resultant from knee reduction after the pivot shift injury. 

The term contrecoup is more frequently used in the setting of traumatic brain injury: see coup-contrecoup injury of the brain

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