Popliteus Partial Tear And Tendinopathy

Home
About Us
- - About Us
  - About AMSSM
  - FAMSSM Designation
  - Awards
  - Founders
  - Past Presidents
  - Board of Directors
  - Committees
  - Contact Us
  - Bylaws/Policy & Committee Handbooks
- - FAMSSM Applications
  - Application submission is now closed for the 2026 Class of AMSSM Fellows. New Fellows will be announced to the AMSSM membership after the first of the year and honored at the 2026 Annual Meeting.
    
    Applications for the FAMSSM Designation will be available on an annual basis. Please contact Ellen Glasgow with any questions regarding the FAMSSM application.
- - We Understand You

Communications
- - Communications
  - Collaborate.AMSSM.org
  - New Branding Campaign
  - AMSSM Member Marketing Toolkit
  - Journal Access
  - Publications/Position Statements
  - Press Releases
  - Brochures
  - Weekly Digests
- - Online AMSSM Community for Members
  - AMSSM Collaborate online community provides a forum for year-long connection, giving members the chance to have conversations, share resources and make connections with your peers.
- - AMSSM Informational Brochures
  - Find informational brochures about sports medicine physicians geared toward coaches, parents and other healthcare professionals.
Education
- - AMSSM Sports Medcasts
  - Find all current and past AMSSM Sports Medcast episodes in one convenient location.
- - AMSSM Fellow Online Lecture Series
  - The AMSSM National Fellow Online Lecture Series features talks from national experts on fundamental sports medicine topics pertinent to fellowship training and sports medicine board certification. Go to the collaborate.amssm.org site and view the available lectures in the Upcoming Events area.
Research
Advocacy
- - Legislative and Policy Issues
  - AMSSM is the go-to organization for legislative and policy issues related to sports medicine and athlete health and safety.
- - Legislation by State
  - AMSSM offers a variety of advocacy resources, including a map that tracks legislation important to sports medicine physicians.
Sports US
- - Sports Ultrasound Online Didactics
  - These 35 educational modules cover all of the didactic instructional session topics recommended for sports medicine fellows by the AMSSM.
- - Sports Ultrasound Committee
  - Find all the resources, materials and guidelines from the AMSSM Sports Ultrasound Committee
Patients
- - Need a Sports Medicine Physician?
  - FindADoc
- - SportsMedToday.com
  - Your comprehensive sports medicine resource for athletes, coaches and parents.
Additional Information
- - Additional Information
  - Sports Med Today
  - Journals
  - Weekly Digests
  - Store
  - Careers
  - Industry
Foundation

Popliteus Partial Tear And Tendinopathy

Authors, Editors, Case Information Author: Carmen Versoza, DO Affiliation: Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, NC Co Author(s): Bryson Merrill, MD Alex Houser, DO, CAQSM, FAAFP Senior Editor: Wesley Troyer, DO Clinical Vignette: A 43-year-old male professional skydiver presented with left lateral knee pain after a hard landing. Pain was described as a burning sensation that started laterally and radiated towards his patella. Type of Probe Used: 15-4 MHz Linear Transducer Unlabeled Short Axis View of the Popliteus Tendon at the Lateral Knee Unlabeled Short Axis View of the Popliteus Tendon at the Lateral Knee Labeled Short Axis View of the Popliteus Tendon at the Lateral Knee Labeled Short Axis View of the Popliteus Tendon at the Lateral Knee which reveals a superficial partial thickness tear (curved arrow) of the popliteus tendon (P). There is also notable cortical irregularity within the sulcus (arrow). Iliotibial band (ITB); Gerdy’s tubercle (GT); anterior horn of the lateral meniscus (M); femur (F). Unlabeled Long Axis View of the Popliteus Tendon at the Lateral Knee Unlabeled view of the lateral knee with the popliteus tendon in long axis. Labeled Long Axis View of the Popliteus Tendon at the Lateral Knee Labeled Long Axis View of the Popliteus Tendon at the Lateral Knee which reveals a low grade superficial partial thickness tear (dotted line) of the popliteus tendon (P) in LAX. Iliotibial band (ITB); lateral femoral condyle (LFC). #5 - Video View Video Short Axis Cine of the Popliteus Tendon at the Lateral Knee from posterior to anterior reveals a superficial partial thickness tear of the popliteus tendon. There is also notable cortical irregularity within the sulcus. #6 - Video View Video Short Axis Cine of the Poplitus Tendon at the Lateral Knee with Color Doppler reveals evidence of neovascularization around the popliteus tendon. Interpretation Image Interpretation: The popliteus tendon has a small superficial anechoic signal consistent with a partial thickness tear, along with cortical irregularities within the sulcus. Neovascularization was noted on Color Doppler. Normal appearing lateral collateral ligament and iliotibial band, with no evidence of bursitis. Limited evaluation of the anterior horn of the lateral meniscus was unremarkable. Teaching Pearl: Isolated popliteus tendon tears are uncommon and can be clinically subtle because pain and examination findings may mimic meniscal, intra-articular, or other posterolateral knee pathology. MRI remains useful, but point-of-care ultrasound can also identify focal hypoechoic tendon tearing, tendinopathy, cortical irregularity, and Doppler hyperemia at the point of maximal tenderness. Early sonographic diagnosis can support timely conservative management for isolated injuries, while also helping determine when additional MRI or orthopedic evaluation might be needed for suspected combined posterolateral corner injury. References: 1. Wu WT, Onishi K, Mezian K, et al. Ultrasound imaging of the posterior lateral corner of the knee: a pictorial review of anatomy and pathologies. Insights Imaging. 2024;15(1):39. doi:10.1186/s13244-024-01606-x 2. Morrissey CD, Knapik DM. Prevalence, mechanisms, and return to sport after isolated popliteus injuries in athletes: a systematic review. Orthop J Sports Med. 2022;10(2):23259671211073617. doi:10.1177/23259671211073617 3. Russell RL, Katz N, Schroeder AN. Popliteal tendinopathies in the athlete: a narrative review of popliteus, hamstring, and gastrocnemius tendon pathologies at the popliteal fossa. Curr Phys Med Rehabil Rep. 2025;13:33. doi:10.1007/s40141-025-00505-6
NOTE: For more information, please contact the AMSSM, 4000 W. 114th Street, Suite 100, Leawood, KS 66211 (913) 327-1415.

Back		Top

© The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
4000 W. 114th Street, Suite 100
Leawood, KS 66211
Phone: 913.327.1415

Website created by the computer geek

Authors, Editors, Case Information

Unlabeled Short Axis View of the Popliteus Tendon at the Lateral Knee

Labeled Short Axis View of the Popliteus Tendon at the Lateral Knee

Unlabeled Long Axis View of the Popliteus Tendon at the Lateral Knee

Labeled Long Axis View of the Popliteus Tendon at the Lateral Knee

#5 - Video

#6 - Video

Interpretation

UPCOMING EVENTS

FIND A SPORTS DOC