Anterolateral ligament as a main stabilizing structure оf rotational stability оf the knee joint

Abstract

Currently, anterior cruciate ligament grafting is one of the most popular operations on the knee joint, but despite the fact that the technique has been used for years, there is a high percentage of unsatisfactory long-term postoperative results, reaching 25%, according to various authors. The concern over this problem has led to an increase in the number of studies aimed at the understanding of the causes of these failures. Most researchers have concluded that the unsatisfactory results are associated with instability in the knee joint, which is caused by the damage of a ligamentous structure found in many dissections, namely, anterolateral ligament (ALL). In this literature review, we have analyzed the articles dedicated to the ALL, its anatomical and histological structure, its biomechanics, as well as its role in the anterolateral stability of the joint. Also in this review we consider the existing surgical methods for the correction of anterolateral instability associated with the ALL damage.

Keywords

• arthroscopy
• knee surgery
• anterolateral ligament
• anterior cruciate ligament