title: Anterolateral ligament anatomy: a comparative anatomical study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Some anatomical studies have indicated that the anterolateral ligament (ALL) of the knee is distinct ligamentous structure in humans. The purpose of this study is to compare the lateral anatomy of the knee among human and various animal specimens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-eight fresh-frozen knee specimens, from 24 different animal species, were used for this anatomical study. The same researchers dissected all the specimens in this study, and dissections were performed in a careful and standardized manner.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An ALL was not found in any of the 58 knees dissected. Another interesting finding in this study is that some primate species (the prosimians: the red and black and white lemurs) have two LCLs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical relevance of this study is the lack of isolation of the ALL as a unique structure in animal species. Therefore, precaution is recommended before assessing the need for surgery to reconstruct the ALL as a singular ligament.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3471 Fifth Avenue, suite #1011, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213-3221, USA.|Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sheila Jean McNeill
authors.initials: SJM
authors.lastname: Ingham
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rogerio Teixeira
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3471 Fifth Avenue, suite #1011, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213-3221, USA.
authors.forename: Cesar A Q
authors.initials: CAQ
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3471 Fifth Avenue, suite #1011, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213-3221, USA.|Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Pisit
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lertwanich
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rene Jorge
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Abdalla
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Material Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Smolinski
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA.
authors.forename: C Owen
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Lovejoy
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3471 Fifth Avenue, suite #1011, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213-3221, USA. ffu@upmc.edu.|Department of Mechanical Engineering and Material Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. ffu@upmc.edu.
authors.forename: Freddie H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008023:Ligaments, Articular / Q000033:anatomy & histology*
keywords: Anatomical study; Anterolateral ligament; Comparative anatomy; Knee