Distal femoral fixation of the iliotibial tract.

The anatomy of the distal femoral fixation of the iliotibial tract was studied in 100 knee joints. A fiber bundle system with three main parts was isolated: (a) the supracondylar bundle oriented from proximal-lateral to distal-medial and fixed to the supracondylar area of the femur; (b) the fibers near to the septum with transverse course between superficial tract and dorsolateral femur; (c) the retrograde tracts which connect Gerdy's tubercle with the dorsolateral femur and form an arc bridging the knee joint. Distance measurements over the range of motion of the knee joint revealed isometric conditions only for the insertion point on the dorsolateral femur. The retrograde fibers are believed to be static stabilizers of the lateral side of the knee, and their insertion point on the dorsolateral femur is the correct site for refixation or reefing of the distal iliotibial tract.