This new part seems to play an important role in patients who suffer ligament injuries and their knees
continue to 'give way' even after treatment.
Dr Steven Claes and Professor Dr Johan Bellemans of the University Hospitals Leuven, made the discovery. They are orthopaedic surgeons and have been on 4years research into serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.
They studied 41 cadaveric knees using macroscopic dissection techniques to examine why some patients continue to suffer the pivot shift, where the knee gives way during physical activity.
Their research, published in the Journal of Anatomy, shows the new ligament now known as the anterolateral ligament (ALL) was present in
all but one of the 41 knees.
The study concluded:
"Given its structure and anatomic location, the ALL is hypothesized to control internal tibial rotation and thus to affect the pivot shift phenomenon although further studies are needed to investigate its biomechanical function."
ACL tears are common among athletes Footballers, and others.
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