# Aberrant anterior tibial artery on knee MRI: A case report advocating for routine search of this anatomical variant

## TL;DR

This case report highlights an unusual blood vessel in the knee found during an MRI, emphasizing the need for surgeons to be aware of it to prevent injury during operations.

## Contribution

The paper presents a new case of an aberrant anterior tibial artery and advocates for its routine identification in knee MRI.

## Key findings

- An aberrant anterior tibial artery was found anterior to the popliteus muscle in a 56-year-old male.
- The variant was identified incidentally during a routine knee MRI for a suspected meniscal tear.
- Awareness of this variant is critical to avoid vascular injury during orthopedic procedures.

## Abstract

An aberrant anterior tibial artery is an anatomical variant in which the anterior tibial artery arises anomalously from the popliteal artery and takes an atypical anterior course relative to the popliteus muscle. We report a case of a 56-year-old male who underwent a routine knee MRI following trauma to evaluate for a suspected meniscal tear. MRI revealed an incidental finding of an aberrant anterior tibial artery coursing anterior to the popliteus muscle and near the posterior tibial cortex. Knowledge of this variant is crucial to avoid potential iatrogenic vascular injury during orthopedic surgery, especially in procedures involving the proximal posterior tibia, such as high tibial osteotomy, total knee arthroplasty, fracture surgery, lateral meniscal repair, or posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.