Is the knee really so big that scientists could discover a new ligament as recently as this year?
That was mostly the case after surgeons at the University Hospitals Leuven in Belgium "discovered" the anterolateral ligament (ALL) by dissecting cadaver knees, according to The Huffington Post. They confirmed the appendage in 40 of 41 cases. Overall the research, published in the Journal of Anatomy found that around 97 percent of people have the ALL ligament. The effects on those missing the ALL ligament were not mentioned in the press release.
Officially, Dr. Steven Claes and Dr. Johan Bellemans of the University Hospitals Leuven were the first to "provide a full anatomical description of the ligament," according to the Ku Leuven press release. The ALL connects the femur (thighbone) to the anterolateral tibia (shinbone), The Huffington Post reported.
The Belgium surgeons began researching ACL injuries four years ago to find out why many surgically-repaired knees would shift or give out during exercise, according to the release. Rather than strictly examining the ACL, they examined other parts of the knee, including a ligament rumored to be in existence since an 1879 article by a French surgeon.
If oft-injured professionals like New York Knicks' Amar'e Stoudemire believe the addition of the ALL only complicates one of the most complicated body parts affecting athletes, it does, but in a good way. Follow-up studies have proven that damage to the ALL results in the "giving away" sensation experienced by patients who tear their ACLs.
Claes and Bellemans are now working on a surgical procedure to correct the ALL following an ACL tear, which could dramatically increase the effectiveness of surgery and the effectiveness of the patient following it, Ku Leuven reported.
