Posterolateral Corner Injury of the Knee: Evaluation and Management

J Am Acad Orthop Surg, Vol 16, No 9, September 2008

Anil Ranawat, MD, Champ L. Baker, III, MD, Sarah Henry, MD and Christopher D. Harner, MD Posterolateral corner injury, an increasingly recognized entity, is commonly associated with concomitant ligament disruptions. Prompt recognition is critical for several reasons. Missed posterolateral corner injuries increase the failure rates for both anterior and posterior cruciate ligament reconstructions. Also, untreated posterolateral corner injuries lead to chronic disability. Acute (ie, immediate) surgical intervention results in superior outcomes compared with chronic (ie, late) reconstruction. Although no universal classification system has been adopted, attention to both varus and rotational stability is critical. Multiple options exist for posterolateral corner reconstruction, although recent trends have shifted toward anatomic reconstruction techniques.