The coronary ligaments are the short peripheral ligamentous attachments connecting the meniscal periphery to the adjacent tibial rim. They allow limited meniscal translation during knee motion (medial meniscus 5 mm, lateral 12 mm) while maintaining peripheral stability. Coronary ligament sprain produces the specific medial or lateral joint line pain of meniscocapsular sprain — often mimicking meniscal tear but with normal MRI.
| Origin | Peripheral meniscal border (both menisci) |
|---|---|
| Insertion | Adjacent tibial plateau periphery |
| Actions | Anchors the menisci to the tibial plateau; allows limited circumferential and translational meniscal movement |
|---|
Coronary ligament sprain from rotational knee injury produces medial or lateral joint line tenderness at the meniscotibial junction rather than the true joint line, reproduced by external rotation stress. Normal MRI distinguishes it from meniscal tears. Rehabilitation focuses on reducing joint line tenderness and restoring rotational control. Prolonged coronary ligament sprain represents an undiagnosed peripheral meniscal tear in some cases.
Meniscotibial attachment injury producing peripheral joint line tenderness with normal MRI managed with progressive loading and rotational stability exercises.
