What is Gerdy's tubercle?
Gerdy's tubercle is an area where the iliotibial belt and fascia Lata go to the tibia. This function is named after Pierre Nicolas Gerdy, a French surgeon of the 19th century, who first described it. Tibia, also known as Shankbone or Shinbone, is one of the two bones of the lower legs, which is part below the knee; The second bone of the lower legs is the fibula. Tibia is larger and stronger of the two and is known as the most daring bones of body weight. Gerdy's Tubercle is located in a tibia's knee joint.
Above Gerdy's tubercle is a fascia Lata, which is connected to the main stings of the knee joint. Fascia Lata is a layer of fibrous connective tissue found in the thigh. It is a deep fascia, which means it surrounds and separates individual muscles. Fascia Lata does this to create muscle compartments.
extending towards Gerdy's Tubercle and inserting into the Proteberation is the iliotibial belt. Also known as Theiliotibial Tract or IT belt, it is a longitudinal fibrous thickening of fasciaLata. The iliotibial belt begins on the iliac ridge of the pelvis, or more specifically on the iliac tuberculus of the ridge, which is the widest point of the structure.
iliotibial belt travels down to the femoral outer part into the side area of the upper limb of the tibia called the lateral condyl. The iliotibial belt is responsible for stabilizing and extending the knee and also for bending. The alternative term, Maissiat's Band, is named for the person who discovered it, French anatomist Jacques Maissiat.
The clinical importance of Gerdy Tubercle concerns a high height in the shape of an arcade of the tibia. Known as tibial tuberosity, it is located at the proximal end of the tibia, where the side and media part of the bone end of the limb. This also refers to the place where the Gament of the Patella or Kneecap is connecting. This area may be broken, as evidenced by cases of injured basketball players.
FrancThe Pierre Nicolas Gerda, who lived between 1797 and 1856, is credited first by describing this tibial projection. The Faculty of Medicine in Paris, known for his contributions to pathology and physiology, had Gerdy, in addition to Gerdy Tubercle, named several other anatomical features.