Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Jun 10;58(6):786.
doi: 10.3390/medicina58060786.

Anatomy, Biomechanics, and Reconstruction of the Anterolateral Ligament of the Knee Joint

Jun-Gu Park  1 , Seung-Beom Han  1 , Chul-Soo Lee  1 , Ok Hee Jeon  2 , Ki-Mo Jang  1   3
Affiliations
Review

Anatomy, Biomechanics, and Reconstruction of the Anterolateral Ligament of the Knee Joint

Jun-Gu Park et al. Medicina (Kaunas). .

Abstract

Despite remarkable advances in the clinical outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions (ACLRs), residual rotational instability of the knee joint remains a major concern. Since the anterolateral ligament (ALL) on the knee joint has been "rediscovered", the role of anterolateral structures, including ALL and deep iliotibial band, as secondary stabilizers of anterolateral rotatory instability has gained interest. This interest has led to the resurgence of anterolateral procedures combined with ACLRs to restore rotational stability in patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficiencies. However, the difference in concepts between anterolateral ligament reconstructions (ALLRs) as anatomical reconstruction and lateral extra-articular tenodesis (LETs) as non-anatomical reinforcement has been conflicting in present literature. This study aimed to review the anatomy and biomechanics of anterolateral structures, surgical techniques, and the clinical outcomes of anterolateral procedures, including LET and ALLR, in patients with ACL deficiencies.

Keywords: anterior cruciate ligament; anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction; anterolateral ligament; anterolateral ligament reconstruction; knee joint; lateral extra-articular tenodesis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Anatomy of the anterolateral ligament and its surrounding structures. (white arrow, anterolateral ligament; black arrow, lateral collateral ligament; red arrow, iliotibial band (split); red asterisk, lateral femoral epicondyle; FH, fibular head; GT, Gerdy’s tubercle).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Resection of anterolateral ligament increases anterolateral rotatory instability in anterior cruciate ligament-deficient knees.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Chambat P., Guier C., Sonnery-Cottet B., Fayard J.M., Thaunat M. The evolution of ACL reconstruction over the last fifty years. Int. Orthop. 2013;37:181–186. doi: 10.1007/s00264-012-1759-3. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ristanis S., Stergiou N., Patras K., Vasiliadis H.S., Giakas G., Georgoulis A.D. Excessive tibial rotation during high-demand activities is not restored by anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Arthroscopy. 2005;21:1323–1329. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2005.08.032. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Tashman S., Collon D., Anderson K., Kolowich P., Anderst W. Abnormal rotational knee motion during running after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Am. J. Sports Med. 2004;32:975–983. doi: 10.1177/0363546503261709. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lemaire M. Ruptures anciennes du ligament croise anterieur du genou. J. Chir. 1967;93:311–320.
    1. Odensten M., Lysholm J., Gillquist J. Long-term follow-up study of a distal iliotibial band transfer (DIT) for anterolateral knee instability. Clin. Orthop. Relat. Res. 1983;176:129–135. doi: 10.1097/00003086-198306000-00017. - DOI - PubMed

MeSH terms

Grants and funding