Undiscovered Human Body Parts?

[bibblebub]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/scientists-have-discovered-a-new-body-part-8925020.html

"Scientists have discovered a new ligament in the human knee..."

One would have thought that all such parts of the human body have been known about for decades, but apparently not. How could this have remained undiscovered for so long, or is it simply a case of people deciding that part of an existing structure should be considered as a separate body part in its own right?

[woofgang]

i suspect the latter.

[jomifl]

It looks just like a footballer ...amazing.

[Old_Geezer]

Hardly unique, Quagmire came across this recently http://www.tvfanatic.com/quotes/hey-quagmire-how-was-your-date-last-night-cleveland-it-was/

[bibblebub]

giggity

[Zeuhl]

I believe it was in recent years that a British scientist discovered previously unknown sensors in the eye in addition to the rods and cones that anatomy had traditionally identified for many years.

Scepticism was overcome by his demonstration that people who had no rods or cones could discern whether a light was on or off.

[woofgang]

and there is of course the fifth taste.

[Sqad]

This anterolateral (ALL) ligament of the knee has been recognized since 1879 and described by many anatomists since.

What is new is the part that it plays in rotation of the knee joint particularly in cruciate ligamentous sports injuries.

[bibblebub]

so the article is overstating the research results...

[jno]

it does cite the 1879 discovery but only as some sort of hypothesis

[jomifl]

and it only exists in footballers? evolution in action? :o)

[Peter Pedant]

BB writes percipiently and even presciently: is it simply a case of people deciding that part of an existing structure should be considered as a separate body part in its own right

short answer yes....

God didnt design a knee and think- Oh I need two menisci - and a few popliteal ligaments No I like them - I will put in two....

They develop and are as a result of evolutionary pressure reasonably fit for purpose.

Given that - you have in the nineteenth century - is this one muscle (in two parts ) or two muscles? The main arbiter was Henry Gray (1858) and the main one before that was Quain (1838 ) . How different was one from the other ? well I have never met anyone who has read Quain, quite honestly.
It is surprising - in the nineteenth century you would have thought they got it straight, ssince they had nothing really else to do on those long winter evenings but cut up bodies......

[Peter Pedant]

O god everyone has had a go - I neednt have bothered

[shoota]

I eventually answered your query on medals Peter....

[bibblebub]

PP - I could mark you as best answer, if that would make it better.

[jomifl]

Nice avatar bibble, dunes on Mars?