title: The anterolateral ligament of the knee: a radiologic and histotopographic study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent anatomic investigations of the lateral structures of the knee have rediscovered a ligament, called the antero-lateral ligament (ALL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten specimens of ALL (6 M, 4 F, mean age 82.3) were sampled from bodies of the Body Donation program of the University of Padova for histological and immuno-histochemical studies. Moreover, a retrospective magnetic resonance (MR) study was carried out in 50 patients (30 M, 20 F, mean age 37.5). MR exams with a normal anatomo-radiological report were selected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From the microscopic point of view the ALL corresponds to a dense connective tissue (mean thickness 893 ± 423 µm), and is composed by collagen I (90 %), collagen III (5 %) and collagen VI (3 %) and scarce elastic fibers (<1 %). On MR exams, ALL appears as a thin linear structure, originating at the lateral epicondyle, running obliquely downwards and forwards, and inserting in the middle third (46 %) or inferior third (14 %) of lateral meniscus and in the lateral aspect of the proximal tibia. It was observed in 47 cases (93 %), with a mean length of 32 ± 4.6 mm and mean thickness of 1.1 ± 0.4 mm. The ALL showed low signal intensity on both T1- and T2-weighted sequences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ALL shows the typical structure of a fibrous ligament. From the anatomo-radiological point of view the ALL is almost constantly depicted by routine 1.5-T MR scan.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Anatomy, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via A. Gabelli 65, 35127, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Macchi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Anatomy, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via A. Gabelli 65, 35127, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Porzionato
authors.affiliation: Section of Radiology, Euganea Medica Center, Via Colombo 3, Sant'Agostino Di Albignasego, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morra
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Anatomy, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via A. Gabelli 65, 35127, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stecco
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Anatomy, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via A. Gabelli 65, 35127, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tortorella
authors.affiliation: Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Clinic, Padova University, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Mirco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Menegolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Guilloz Imaging, CHU Nancy, Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grignon
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Anatomy, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via A. Gabelli 65, 35127, Padua, Italy. rdecaro@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Caro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D063405:Anatomic Variation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008023:Ligaments, Articular / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Antero-lateral ligament; Knee; Magnetic resonance; Radiologic anatomy; Segond fracture