A Capehart Scatchard Blog

New Ligament in Knee May Be Cause of Complications Post-Surgery

By on December 6, 2013 in NJ Workers' Comp, Uncategorized with 0 Comments

By Ian Zolty, Esq.

Have you ever heard of the anterolateral ligament? If you have not, don’t feel bad because almost no one was aware of it until recent months.

The research of two orthopedic surgeons, Dr. Steven Claes and Dr. Johan Bellemans from University Hospitals Leuven in Belgium, may be breaking new ground in the treatment of common knee injuries.  They have determined that there is a ligament in the knee, now named the anterolateral ligament, or ALL for short, that runs from the outer side of the thigh bone to the shin bone.  Writing in the Journal of Anatomy, the doctors said they believe that the ALL is found in 97% of all human knees.  Importantly, this ligament appears to play a role in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, which are very common in workers’ compensation cases.

The Belgian surgeons came across an article on the ALL, first theorized by a French surgeon in 1879, but no one ever determined what its structure or function was.  The surgeons looked at 41 donated knee joints and found the ALL in all but one of the subjects.  They believe that this ligament gives way during ACL tears and plays a role in proper treatment and recovery of ACL injuries.

Despite having surgery and rehabilitation, some patients with ACL-repaired knees continue to experience incidents where their knee “gives way” during certain activities.  The Belgian surgeons believe this could be happening because treating surgeons are not addressing the torn ALL, which may be injured at the same time as the ACL.  This makes the knee more vulnerable to injury when it rotates.  ALL injuries may also be responsible for small fractures that usually are blamed on ACL injuries.  Therefore, a better understanding of the ALL may help physicians and orthopedic surgeons develop more sophisticated treatment methods for ACL tears and other common knee injuries.

It will be interesting to see what reaction this research has on treatment in the United States and whether treating doctors begin to address the role of the anterolateral ligament in workers’ compensation cases.

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About the Author

About the Author:

John H. Geaney, Esq. is a Shareholder and Co-Chair of Capehart Scatchard's Workers' Compensation Group. Mr. Geaney began an email newsletter entitled “Currents in Workers’ Compensation, ADA and FMLA” in 2001 in order to keep clients and readers informed on leading developments in these three areas of law. Since that time he has written over 500 newsletter updates.

Mr. Geaney is the author of Geaney’s New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Manual for Practitioners, Adjusters & Employers. The Manual is distributed by the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (NJICLE). He also authored an ADA and FMLA Manual also distributed by NJICLE. If you are interested in purchasing “Geaney’s New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Manual for Practitioners, Adjusters & Employers,” please contact NJICLE at 732-214-8500 or visit their website at www.njicle.com.

Mr. Geaney represents employers in the defense of workers’ compensation, ADA and FMLA matters. He is a Fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers of the American Bar Association. He is one of two firm representatives to the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network.

A graduate of Holy Cross College summa cum laude, Mr. Geaney obtained his law degree from Boston College Law School.

Mr. Geaney was selected to the “New Jersey Super Lawyer” list (2005-2017, 2021 in the area of Workers’ Compensation). Only 5% of attorneys are selected to “Super Lawyers” through a peer nominated process based on independent research and peer evaluation. The Super Lawyers list is issued by Thomson Reuters. For a description of the “Super Lawyers” selection methodology, please visit https://www.superlawyers.com/about/selection_process.html

For the years 2022-2024 Mr. Geaney was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® list in the practice area of Workers’ Compensation Law - Employers. The attorneys on this list are selected based upon the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area. A complete description of The Best Lawyers in America® methodology can be viewed via their website at https://www.bestlawyers.com/methodology.

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Capehart Scatchard is a full service law firm with offices in Mt. Laurel and Hamilton, New Jersey. The firm represents employers and businesses in a wide variety of areas, including workers’ compensation, civil litigation, labor, environmental, business, estates and governmental affairs.

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