New Human Body Part Discovered: ALL in Knee Sheds Light on ACL Injuries
A new human body part has been discovered by Belgian surgeons that is connected to the ACL. The anterolateral ligament, or ALL, can spread new light on what happens when athletes and other injure their themselves and the knees "give way."
The new human body part, the anterolateral ligament, was discovered by Dr. Steven Claes and Dr. Johan Bellemans, who spent four years researching 41 cadavers to find the ligament. The orthopedic surgeons used macroscopic dissection techniques while learning about complications after patients tore their anterior cruciate ligament, which is vital to walking and balance.
When athletes play sports with a lot of pivoting- soccer, basketball, skiing, football and others- some of them tear their ACL. However, even after reparative surgery, patients' knees could experience a "pivot shift," which is when their knees give way suddenly. Claes and Bellemans believe that could have to do with the ALL.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The doctors' research into the anterolateral ligament began when they read the paper of 19th century French surgeon Dr. Paul Segond, who theorized in 1879 that there could be an additional ligament on the anterior of the knee.
Just like Segond, the doctors used cadavers to confirm the existence of the ligament, which exists in 97 percent of all people. The Belgian surgeons found the ALL in all but one of their 41 cadavers.
The find of a new human body part was lauded as "very refreshing" by the Anatomical Society.
The last time a new human body part was discovered was in June of 2012, when researchers found a thin layer in the cornea.
