The ligamentum mucosum - also known as the infrapatellar plica - is a flimsy band of tissue stretching across the front of the knee between the femur bone and the fat pad behind the kneecap.
Page updated November 2023 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor)
Side view of the knee, showing how the ligamentum mucosum is related to the fat pad and is situated in front of the more substantial anterior cruciate ligament.
Ligamentum mucosum and anterior knee pain
The intimate relationship between the ligamentum mucosum and the fat pad means that the structure can be stretched as the knee bends and straightens. If this composite is compromised either by injury or a growth spurt, pain may be experienced in the front of the knee.
Quick links
Peer-reviewed papers
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Quote:
"Anterior knee pain (AKP), a multifactorial symptom complex, can be successfully treated surgically. A specific diagnosis often cannot be made, but the pain is linked to an unrecognized common factor in most patients: ...the fat pad (FP) and infrapatellar plica (IPP)."
Citation: Smallman TV, Portner OT, Race A, Shekitka K, Mann K. Arthroscopic Untethering of the Fat Pad of the Knee: Release or Resection of the Infrapatellar Plica (Ligamentum Mucosum) and Related Structures for Anterior Knee Pain. Arthrosc Tech. 2018 Apr 30;7(5):e575-e588. doi: 10.1016/j.eats.2018.02.002. PMID: 29942735; PMCID: PMC6011586.
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Quote:
"Infrapatellar plica injury is an under-reported cause of anterior knee pain"
Citation: Singh DK, Rajani H, Sinha M, Katyan A, Suman S, Mishra A, Nayak BK. Infrapatellar plica injury: Magnetic resonance imaging review of a neglected cause of anterior knee pain. SA J Radiol. 2021 Feb 19;25(1):1973. doi: 10.4102/sajr.v25i1.1973. PMID: 33824739; PMCID: PMC8008011.
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Relevant material -
Authoritative course -
2018 - An alternative viewpoint on Anterior Knee Pain - by Dr Thomas Smallman (Knee Surgeon)