91
views
0
recommends
+1 Recommend
0 collections
    0
    shares
      • Record: found
      • Abstract: found
      • Article: not found

      Anatomy of the anterolateral ligament of the knee.

      Read this article at

      ScienceOpenPublisherPubMed
      Bookmark
          There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

          Abstract

          In 1879, the French surgeon Segond described the existence of a 'pearly, resistant, fibrous band' at the anterolateral aspect of the human knee, attached to the eponymous Segond fracture. To date, the enigma surrounding this anatomical structure is reflected in confusing names such as '(mid-third) lateral capsular ligament', 'capsulo-osseous layer of the iliotibial band' or 'anterolateral ligament', and no clear anatomical description has yet been provided. In this study, the presence and characteristics of Segond's 'pearly band', hereafter termed anterolateral ligament (ALL), was investigated in 41 unpaired, human cadaveric knees. The femoral and tibial attachment of the ALL, its course and its relationship with nearby anatomical structures were studied both qualitatively and quantitatively. In all but one of 41 cadaveric knees (97%), the ALL was found as a well-defined ligamentous structure, clearly distinguishable from the anterolateral joint capsule. The origin of the ALL was situated at the prominence of the lateral femoral epicondyle, slightly anterior to the origin of the lateral collateral ligament, although connecting fibers between the two structures were observed. The ALL showed an oblique course to the anterolateral aspect of the proximal tibia, with firm attachments to the lateral meniscus, thus enveloping the inferior lateral geniculate artery and vein. Its insertion on the anterolateral tibia was grossly located midway between Gerdy's tubercle and the tip of the fibular head, definitely separate from the iliotibial band (ITB). The ALL was found to be a distinct ligamentous structure at the anterolateral aspect of the human knee with consistent origin and insertion site features. By providing a detailed anatomical characterization of the ALL, this study clarifies the long-standing enigma surrounding the existence of a ligamentous structure connecting the femur with the anterolateral tibia. Given its structure and anatomic location, the ALL is hypothesized to control internal tibial rotation and thus to affect the pivot shift phenomenon, although further studies are needed to investigate its biomechanical function.

          Related collections

          Most cited references16

          • Record: found
          • Abstract: found
          • Article: not found

          The anatomy of the medial part of the knee.

          While the anatomy of the medial part of the knee has been described qualitatively, quantitative descriptions of the attachment sites of the main medial knee structures have not been reported. The purpose of the present study was to verify the qualitative anatomy of medial knee structures and to perform a quantitative evaluation of their anatomic attachment sites as well as their relationships to pertinent osseous landmarks. Dissections were performed and measurements were made for eight nonpaired fresh-frozen cadaveric knees with use of an electromagnetic three-dimensional tracking sensor system. In addition to the medial epicondyle and the adductor tubercle, a third osseous prominence, the gastrocnemius tubercle, which corresponded to the attachment site of the medial gastrocnemius tendon, was identified. The average length of the superficial medial (tibial) collateral ligament was 94.8 mm. The superficial medial collateral ligament femoral attachment was 3.2 mm proximal and 4.8 mm posterior to the medial epicondyle. The superficial medial collateral ligament had two separate attachments on the tibia. The distal attachment of the superficial medial collateral ligament on the tibia was 61.2 mm distal to the knee joint. The deep medial collateral ligament consisted of meniscofemoral and meniscotibial portions. The posterior oblique ligament femoral attachment was 7.7 mm distal and 6.4 mm posterior to the adductor tubercle and 1.4 mm distal and 2.9 mm anterior to the gastrocnemius tubercle. The medial patellofemoral ligament attachment on the femur was 1.9 mm anterior and 3.8 mm distal to the adductor tubercle. The medial knee ligament structures have a consistent attachment pattern.
            Bookmark
            • Record: found
            • Abstract: found
            • Article: not found

            The anterolateral ligament of the human knee: an anatomic and histologic study.

            The functional anatomy of the knee is frequently studied but remains incompletely understood. Numerous authors have described a structure in the lateral knee connecting the lateral femoral condyle with the lateral meniscus and tibial plateau. The goal of this study is to define the incidence, anatomy, and histology of this structure, the anterolateral ligament.
              Bookmark
              • Record: found
              • Abstract: found
              • Article: not found

              An anatomic study of the iliotibial tract.

              To identify the structure of the iliotibial tract at knee level, as well as its insertions, layer arrangement, and relationship with other structures of the lateral region of the knee and to compare the findings with available literature. Ten detailed anatomic dissections were performed by using incisions as recommended by the literature in fresh cadaver knees identifying the iliotibial tract components. The authors observed an iliotibial tract arrangement in superficial, deep, and capsular-osseous layers. Insertions have been described as follows: at linea aspera, at the upper border of the lateral epicondyle, at the patella, and at Gerdy's tibial tuberculum and across the capsular-osseous layer. The iliotibial tract (ITT) has important interconnections to the femur, the patella, and the lateral tibia; the iliopatellar band joins the ITT to the patella through the superficial oblique retinaculum and the lateral femoropatellar ligament, and the ITT capsular-osseous layer presents differentiated fibers in an arched arrangement that borders the femoral condyle and inserts laterally to the Gerdy's tubercle. The iliotibial tract can be considered as an anterolateral knee stabilizer, particularly its capsular-osseous layer, which, together with the anterior cruciate ligament, constitutes a functional unit forming a spatial "horseshoe" form. The detailed description of the structures forming iliotibial tract plays an important role in the study of knee instabilities. Its important tibial, femoral, and patellar connections are described so that better understanding of tibial femoral instability on the lateral side as well as patellofemoral instability can be achieved and mechanisms of repair can be conceived.
                Bookmark

                Author and article information

                Journal
                J. Anat.
                Journal of anatomy
                1469-7580
                0021-8782
                Oct 2013
                : 223
                : 4
                Affiliations
                [1 ] Department of Orthopedic Surgery & Traumatology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
                Article
                10.1111/joa.12087
                23906341
                83164cec-120e-4118-879f-0e995c3eea45
                © 2013 Anatomical Society.
                History

                Segond fracture,anatomy,anterior cruciate ligament,anterolateral ligament,pivot-shift

                Comments

                Comment on this article

                scite_

                Similar content330

                Cited by180

                Most referenced authors182