Cruciate - anatomy

CRUCIATE LIGAMENT SECTION intro anatomy issues key points how ACL is injured how PCL is injured ACL diagnosis PCL diagnosis multi-ligament instability braces - types braces - issues surgery intro ACL surgery PCL surgery rehab complications

The 'cruciate' ligaments are so-called because they cross over one another. If you bend the knee and look in from the front you can see the cruciate ligaments in the centre of the joint, within the notch of the femur.

In this illustration the bone has been cut open down the middle so that you can see the full extent of each cruciate ligament.

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is in front of the posterior cruciate ligament. It originates from the tibia bone (shin bone) at the area called the tibial spine (which you can't see on the illustration because the ligament covers it). It stretches across to the roof of the notch in the femur bone (thighbone) where it inserts. That is, it goes from the back at the top to the front at the bottom.

The posterior ligament (PCL) does the opposite - that is, they cross over - the PCL goes from the back of the tibia to the front of the notch on the inner aspect (you can just see it tucked behind the anterior cruciate in the illustration in the next column).