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Review
. 2022 Jul 26;10(21):7215-7223.
doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i21.7215.

Anatomy of the anterolateral ligament of the knee joint

Jun-Gu Park  1 , Seung-Beom Han  1 , Hye Chang Rhim  2 , Ok Hee Jeon  3 , Ki-Mo Jang  4
Affiliations
Review

Anatomy of the anterolateral ligament of the knee joint

Jun-Gu Park et al. World J Clin Cases. .

Abstract

Despite remarkable improvements in clinical outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, the residual rotational instability of knee joints remains a major concern. The anterolateral ligament (ALL) has recently gained attention as a distinct ligamentous structure on the anterolateral aspect of the knee joint. Numerous studies investigated the anatomy, function, and biomechanics of ALL to establish its potential role as a stabilizer for anterolateral rotational instability. However, controversies regarding its existence, prevalence, and femoral and tibial insertions need to be addressed. According to a recent consensus, ALL exists as a distinct ligamentous structure on the anterolateral aspect of the knee joint, with some anatomic variations. The aim of this article was to review the updated anatomy of ALL and present the most accepted findings among the existing controversies. Generally, ALL originates slightly proximal and posterior to the lateral epicondyle of the distal femur and has an anteroinferior course toward the tibial insertion between the tip of the fibular head and Gerdy's tubercle below the lateral tibial plateau.

Keywords: Anatomy; Anterior cruciate ligament; Anterolateral ligament; Anterolateral ligament reconstruction; Anterolateral rotational instability; Knee joint.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Photograph showing isolation of the anterolateral ligament (black arrows) in a cadaveric right knee joint. The asterisk indicates the lateral epicondyle of the distal femur.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A coronal magnetic resonance image showing the anterolateral ligament (white arrows) which is attached to a Segond fracture fragment. The white arrow head indicates a Segond fracture.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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