Virginia Via Research Day Book 2026

Medical Student Research Biomedical

17 MEDIAL PLICA EXCISION SURGERY THROUGH AN INTENSIVE KNEE DISSECTION

Kaelin Mackintire, OMS II; Tiffany Carpenetti, PhD kmackintire@vt.vcom.edu

VCOM-Virginia, Blacksburg, Virginia

to the capsule during the excision of the plica tissue. These complications can be due to the genicular artery anastamoses around the knee and the saphenous nerve,which supplies innervation to the infrapatellar region, where the arthroscopic ports are placed. With thorough knowledge of the knee anatomy in a typically individual, it can help to lessen these possible complications of the plica excision surgery.

Context: Medial Plica Syndrome is a clinical condition that can cause chronic knee pain, but in clinical context is only seen as a diagnosis of exclusion. It is caused by synovial tissue remnants, persisting from the embryonic stage of development, that, due to size and joint capsule anatomy, can become irritated and fibrotic in some individuals. Since arthroscopic procedures have become more regularly utilized since the 1980s, it has allowed surgeons to less invasively see in the joint capsule to recognize these fibrotic tissues and remove them. Objective: The objective of this research is to dissect a cadaveric knee to highlight the possible complications of the medial plica excision arthroscopic surgery due to the anatomy of the knee joint, specifically regarding the neurovasculature and contents of the joint capsule.

Methods: For this project, it is a stepwise dissection starting with the superficial nerves and arteries and then progressing to deeper structures until advancing into the joint capsule itself. Grant’s dissection guide is used as a reference, as well as other anatomical atlases, specifically for the knee. Pictures will be taken throughout the dissection for reference, as some of the superficial structures will not be preserved well as the dissection progresses. Results: This project is currently in progress and results are not complete. However, the results will be pictures of the completed knee dissection. Conclusion: Several of the most common complications with the plica excision surgery are related to the neurovasculature near where the ports for the arthroscopy are placed. Additionally, there is a possibility of a hemarthrosis due to accidental damage

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106 Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)