The docking technique for posterolateral corner reconstruction.

Abstract

Posterolateral corner injuries of the knee are an uncommon but potentially debilitating injury. They are easily missed on physical examination and are often associated with alternate ligament pathology. When identified early, these injuries are best managed by primary repair with or without augmentation of the involved structures. However, chronic injuries are generally not amenable to primary repair and often require reconstruction. Experimental data suggest that the lateral collateral ligament and popliteofibular ligament present critical biomechanical restraints of the posterolateral aspect of the knee and should be incorporated into contemporary reconstruction techniques. We describe a novel method of reconstructing these critical components of the posterolateral corner using a new docking technique for fixation on the femur with a graft placed through a fibular head tunnel.