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The clinico-anatomic explanation for tibial intraneural ganglion cysts arising from the superior tibiofibular joint

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Abstract

Objective

To demonstrate that tibial intraneural ganglia in the popliteal fossa are derived from the posterior portion of the superior tibiofibular joint, in a mechanism similar to that of peroneal intraneural ganglia, which have recently been shown to arise from the anterior portion of the same joint.

Design

Retrospective clinical study and prospective anatomic study.

Materials

The clinical records and MRI findings of three patients with tibial intraneural ganglion cysts were analyzed and compared with those of one patient with a tibial extraneural ganglion cyst and one volunteer. Seven cadaveric limbs were dissected to define the articular anatomy of the posterior aspect of the superior tibiofibular joint.

Results

The condition of the three patients with intraneural ganglia recurred because their joint connections were not identified initially. In two patients there was no cyst recurrence when the joint connection was treated at revision surgery; the third patient did not wish to undergo additional surgery. The one patient with an extraneural ganglion had the joint connection identified at initial assessment and had successful surgery addressing the cyst and the joint connection. Retrospective evaluation of the tibial intraneural ganglion cysts revealed stereotypic features, which allowed their accurate diagnosis and distinction from extraneural cases. The intraneural cysts had tubular (rather than globular) appearances. They derived from the postero-inferior portion of the superior tibiofibular joint and followed the expected course of the articular branch on the posterior surface of the popliteus muscle. The cysts then extended intra-epineurially into the parent tibial nerves, where they contained displaced nerve fascicles. The extraneural cyst extrinsically compressed the tibial nerve but did not directly involve it. All cadaveric specimens demonstrated a small single articular branch, which derived from the tibial nerve to the popliteus. The branch coursed obliquely across the posterior surface of the popliteus muscle before innervating the postero-inferior aspect of the superior tibiofibular joint.

Conclusions

The clinical, MRI and anatomic features of tibial intraneural ganglion cysts are the posterior counterpart of the peroneal intraneural ganglion cysts arising from the anterior portion of the superior tibiofibular joint. These predictable features can be exploited and have implications for the pathogenesis of these intraneural cysts and treatment outcomes. These ganglion cysts are joint-related and provide further evidence to support the unifying articular theory. In each case the joint connection needs to be identified preoperatively, and the articular branches and the superior tibiofibular joint should be addressed operatively to prevent cyst recurrence.

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Abbreviations

MRI:

magnetic resonance imaging

CT:

computerized tomography

FSE:

fast spin echo

MIP:

maximum intensity projection

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, 55905, USA

    Robert J. Spinner

  2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

    Robert J. Spinner

  3. Department of Anatomy, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

    Robert J. Spinner

  4. Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

    Ali Mokhtarzadeh & Terry K. Schiefer

  5. Department of Neurological Surgery, Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Dresden, Germany

    Kartik G. Krishnan

  6. Department of Neurosurgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

    Michel Kliot

  7. Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

    Kimberly K. Amrami

Authors
  1. Robert J. Spinner
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  2. Ali Mokhtarzadeh
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  3. Terry K. Schiefer
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  4. Kartik G. Krishnan
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  5. Michel Kliot
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  6. Kimberly K. Amrami
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Correspondence to Robert J. Spinner.

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Spinner, R.J., Mokhtarzadeh, A., Schiefer, T.K. et al. The clinico-anatomic explanation for tibial intraneural ganglion cysts arising from the superior tibiofibular joint. Skeletal Radiol 36, 281–292 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-006-0213-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-006-0213-2

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