30 Nov ALL – AnteroLateralLigament – don’t you know!
Recently, a couple of knee surgeons in Belgium have, using macroscopic dissection techniques, identified a ligamentous structure called ALL. Apparently, this existence of this structure was first suggested by a French surgeon way back in 1879! That is a seriously long time for a structure to remain hidden.
The knee joint is one of the most remarkable joints in the body. For a start its’ surfaces are not congruent. It is also surprisingly small in size considering the load it transmits. Lastly, it is two joints in one. That is the upper and lower leg bones, as well as the kneecap on the knee joint.
It is proposed that this “new” ligament is a stabiliser that helps promote the ability to pivot, one of the most difficult manoeuvres for the knee to do. It is accepted that the most important structure in this regard is your anterior cruciate ligament. Certainly, not all cruciate ligament repairs are successful. It could be that the” ACL” and this new “ALL” have to work in unison to make good.
Watch this space!
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