Posterolateral Corner Knee Injury
The posterolateral corner of the knee is a complex area of the knee. The diagnosis of acute and chronic posterolateral knee injuries is also complex and requires various examination tests and imaging studies. Dr. LaPrade recommends to all patients with a complete, or Grade III injury, to undergo posterolateral reconstruction. The timing of this surgery is crucial and ideally, acute injuries should be treated within the first three weeks with either a repair or an anatomic reconstruction of the injured structures.
Description of Posterolateral Reconstruction
Dr. LaPrade will assess the patient’s knee alignment with a long leg x-ray. Dr. LaPrade usually recommends a combined hybrid approach of repair for those repairable structures and a reconstruction of midsubstance tears of the posterolateral corner for acute injuries; while in chronic injuries he generally performs a posterolateral reconstruction.
Dr. LaPrade has developed and validated multiple surgical techniques to treat these injuries to include:
• Lateral collateral ligament reconstructions
• Popliteus tendon reconstructions
• Proximal tibiofibular joint reconstructions
• Complete posterolateral corner reconstructions
Dr. LaPrade has validated these objectively with stress radiographs and subjectively with patient outcome scores and demonstrated these results are much better than historical treatments for these injuries.
In chronic injuries, there is a very high risk of having any soft tissue posterolateral reconstruction stretch out in the face of varus alignment. Thus, for chronic posterolateral knee injuries, it is recommended to perform a proximal tibial opening wedge osteotomy, first, and to have the osteotomy heal, then assess if they still have functional limitations after the osteotomy heals.
Bilateral varus stress x-rays in a patient two years postoperative from ACL, PCL and a complete posterolateral knee anatomic reconstruction demonstrating excellent objective healing of the posterolateral knee reconstruction..
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Are you a candidate for posterolateral knee reconstruction?
There are two ways to initiate a consultation with Dr. LaPrade:
You can provide current X-rays and/or MRIs for a clinical case review with Dr. LaPrade.
You can schedule an office consultation with Dr. LaPrade.
(Please keep reading below for more information on this treatment.)
Post-Operative Protocol for Posterolateral Knee Reconstruction
The postoperative rehabilitation for these injuries includes immediate range of motion within the “safe zone” decided by the surgeon at the time of surgery, to be nonweight bearing for six weeks postoperatively and to avoid isolated active hamstring exercises for the first four months postoperatively to avoid significant stress to the healing posterolateral corner repair and reconstruction procedures.
Related Studies
- Outcomes and Surgical Technique of Acute grade III Isolated and Combine PLC Injuries
- Anatomic Posterolateral Reconstruction – Development of a Surgical Technique
- Outcomes of an Anatomic Posterolateral Knee Structures
- MRI Appearance of the PLC with Surgical Verification
- Varus Stress Radiographs
- Assessment of Healing of Grade III Posterolateral Corner Injuries
- Analysis of the Static Function of the Popliteus Tendon and Evaluation of an Anatomic Reconstruction
- Mechanical Properties of the Posterolateral Structures of the Knee
- Anatomy and Biomechanics of the Lateral Side of the Knee
- Posterolateral Attachments of the Knee – a Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis
- PTO as Intial Treatment for Chronic PLC Deficency
