Editorial Commentary: Stress Views Should Be Standard of Care for All Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Deficient Knees With Asymmetric Varus Laxity on Examination.

Abstract

A small degree of increased varus laxity in acute anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-disrupted knees often can be discovered on initial examination. Why this occurs is not always clear and is usually thought to be related to some degree of fibular collateral ligament injury. However, there may be another structure that demands our attention in an ACL-deficient knee with more laxity than isolated ACL injuries but less laxity than combined ACL and fibular collateral ligament injuries. That structure is the anterolateral complex, including the anterolateral ligament, the iliotibial band, and quite importantly, Kaplan fibers.