Anatomical study on the anterolateral ligament of the knee

EXTRA-ARTICULAR RECONSTRUCTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT IN BRAZIL

OBJECTIVE

To assess the knowledge and technical preferences of Brazilian knee surgeons in relation to the treatment of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries using intra-articular reconstruction in combination with extra-articular reconstruction.

METHODS

A questionnaire consisting of 16 questions about intra-articular ACL reconstruction in combination with extra-articular procedures and about the Anterolateral Ligament (ALL) was applied at the 48^th Brazilian Congress of Orthopedics.

RESULTS

One hundred thirty-seven surgeons answered the questionnaire. Most surgeons perform 10-30 ACL reconstructions per year, with the transtibial technique appearing as the most common. Most surgeons find some percentage of residual pivot-shift after reconstructions, but the minority performs extra-articular procedures on a routine basis. The main indications for extra-articular reconstruction are revision and profuse pivot-shift cases. Most surgeons consider the ALL a true ligament, but 46.7% with less biomechanical importance and 32.3% with greater importance in knee stability. However, 91.4% had a positive perception of the reconstruction of this structure.

CONCLUSION

Although the preferred technique is still the transtibial procedure, combined anatomical reconstructions already make up more than 50% of cases. Extra-articular reconstructions associated with the ACL are still performed by the minority of Brazilian surgeons, but 91.4% of them report having had a positive perception with their reconstruction. Level of Evidence III, Descriptive Study.

Assessment of the anterolateral ligament of the knee by 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging

Objective This study was performed to evaluate the visibility of the knee's anterolateral ligament (ALL) by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging when evaluating injuries of the ALL in relation to injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Methods Two reviewers retrospectively analyzed MR images for the visibility and dimensions of the ALL and the relationship between ALL and ACL injuries. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and kappa analysis were used to assess interobserver reliability. The chi-square test was used to assess the relationship between ALL and ACL injuries. Results The entire ALL was viewed on 82% of all MR images. The ICC for ALL visualization ranged from moderate to perfect between the two readers. There was almost perfect agreement between the reviewers when evaluating ALL dimensions. The mean length ± standard error, median thickness, and mean width ± standard error of the ALL were 36.5 ± 0.6 mm, 2.5 mm, and 8.2 ± 0.2 mm, respectively. A statistically significant relationship was observed between ALL and ACL injuries. Conclusion The ALL was visible on most MR images, allowing ALL injuries to be noted during routine MR image interpretation. Radiologists should note concomitant ACL and ALL injuries as part of their assessments.