Posterior oblique ligament of the knee

Last revised by Craig Hacking on 13 Jul 2022

The posterior oblique ligament (POL) belongs to the medial supporting structures of the knee and is one of the five components of the posteromedial corner (PMC) of the knee.

Gross anatomy

It is located posterior to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and is composed of the intermediate and deep medial capsular layer 1-4.

Attachments

The femoral attachment originates just distal and posterior to the adductor tubercle 5.

Its distal attachment consists of three components: a superficial, central and capsular extension 2,3:

  • the superficial extension attaches to the proximal tibia together with the distal insertion of the semimembranosus tendon and  blends anteriorly with the posterior part of the medial collateral ligament
  • the central extension is the most prominent part and attaches to the posteromedial part of the medial meniscus
  • the capsular extension blends into the posteromedial joint capsule and fuses with the capsular insertion of the semimembranosus tendon as well as the medial part of the oblique popliteal ligament 2,3

Related pathology

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