Minimally Invasive Anterolateral Ligament Reconstruction in the Setting of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury.

Abstract

Recent evidence on the anatomy, function, and biomechanical properties of the anterolateral ligament has led to the recognition of the importance of this structure in the rotational control of the knee. This article describes a technique that allows for minimally invasive anterolateral ligament reconstruction as a complement to most techniques of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. A gracilis tendon autograft is harvested and prepared in a double-strand, inverted V-shaped graft. The graft is percutaneously placed through a femoral stab incision, and each strand is then passed deep to the iliotibial band, emerging through each tibial stab incision. After the femoral-end loop graft is fixed, the tibial fixation of each strand is performed in full extension for optimal isometry.