Anatomy of the anterolateral ligament of the knee joint and its impact on clinical practice

BACKGROUND: The anterolateral ligament (ALL) was identified as a thickening of the lateral capsule of the knee joint coming under tension with an applied internal rotation at 30° of flexion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the present study, dissection of 20 lower limb specimens, 10 right and 10 left, of 10 formalin-preserved adult male cadavers was done for morphometric measurement of ALL. Nine male cases were subjected to combined anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and ALL reconstruction; seven cases with right knee involvement and two cases with left knee involvement. RESULTS: The ALL was clearly identified in all 20 lower limb cadaveric specimens. In all the specimens, ALL was identified along the anterolateral aspect of the extended knee, and it was in the form of a band. CONCLUSION: Combined ALL and ACL reconstruction has better rehabilitation of the patients.