This book has been written in response to the many physicians and scien tists working on the development of biological approaches to providing therapies for many orthopaedic disorders as well as to improving the healing of many tissues of the musculoskeletal system. The first goal of this book is to make the language compatible between the bench scientist and the clinician working in orthopaedic and sports medicine in order to cover specific areas of the orthopaedic discipline where the treatment can be improved and/or changed by the advancements in molecular medicine. Advancements in molecular biology, which encompass the study of the genetic basis of disease, have produced new diagnostic methods and drug therapies for genetic diseases and acquired disorders. The growth in the understanding of human genetics has also led to the initiation of many human gene therapy experiments. Although many approved therapeutic clinical trials using this new technology have been performed in the last ten years, the first clinical trial using this technology in the area of orthopaedics was performed at the University of Pittsburgh."

This issue of Clinics in Sports Medicine, guest edited by Dr. Freddie H. Fu, will cover Controversies of the Anterolateral Complex of the Knee. Anatomical description of the anterolateral complex of the knee; Biomechanical proof for the existence of the Anterolateral Ligament; Biomechanics of the anterolateral structures of the knee; Mechanical properties of the anterolateral structures and their clinical implications; Extra articular tenodesis in combination with ACL reconstruction; The role of an extra-articular reconstructive surgery in primary ACL reconstructions; The role of an extra-articular tenodesis in revision ACL reconstruction; The effect of an extra-articular tenodesis on the contact pressure in the lateral compartment of the knee; and The state of the evidence in ALL research, among others.

The Adult ACL world is constantly changing and is in need of continual updates; approximately 60,000-75,000 ACL reconstructions are performed annually in the United States. Dr. Freddie Fu just held a world-wide symposium on this topic and is considered the expert. In the Clinics survey sent in the fall of 2010, survey takers were most interested in seeing an issue on ACL repair and injury prevention.