The anterolateral ligament (ALL) is a
ligament
A ligament is the fibrous connective tissue that connects bones to other bones. It is also known as ''articular ligament'', ''articular larua'', ''fibrous ligament'', or ''true ligament''. Other ligaments in the body include the:
* Peritoneal ...
on the
lateral aspect of the human
knee
In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...
,
anterior to the
fibular collateral ligament
The lateral collateral ligament (LCL, long external lateral ligament or fibular collateral ligament) is a ligament located on the lateral (outer) side of the knee, and thus belongs to the extrinsic knee ligaments and posterolateral corner of the k ...
.
Perhaps the earliest account of the ALL was written by French surgeon
Paul Segond in 1879, in which he described a ligamentous structure between the lateral femur and tibia.
Claes and
Bellemans (2013) found that the ALL
originates at the
lateral epicondyle of the femur, and
inserts at the anterolateral aspect of the proximal
tibia.
However, Vincent et al. (2012) reported the origin to be the
lateral femoral condyle.
Clinical relevance
The ALL, which has been suggested to occur in 33-97% of the human population,
seems to stabilize
medial rotation of the knee.
However, the anterior cruciate ligament is the most important contributor to rotatory knee stability. It is uncertain if an isolated anterolateral ligament injury with an intact anterior cruciate ligament injury leads to knee instability. This topic is being hotly debated and researched. The "pivot shift" phenomenon in
anterior cruciate ligament injury patients may be ascribed to additional trauma to the ALL
or other structures in the anterolateral knee.
The
Segond fracture is probably an
avulsion of the anterolateral ligament.
In such injuries, fragments of the
lateral tibial condyle
The lateral condyle is the lateral portion of the upper extremity of tibia.
It serves as the insertion for the biceps femoris muscle (small slip). Most of the tendon of the biceps femoris inserts on the fibula.
See also
* Gerdy's tubercle
* Medi ...
of the knee are torn from the bone by the soft tissue structures of the anterolateral knee.
References
External links
* – "Major Joints of the Lower Extremity: Knee Joint"
* – "Superior view of the tibia."
* – "Medial and lateral views of the knee joint and cruciate ligaments."
* ()
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anterolateral ligament
Knee ligaments