Knee anatomy - the cruciate ligaments

ANATOMY OVERVIEW anatomy intro bones from front (bent knee) bones from front (straight knee) bones from side bones from above patella capsule collateral ligaments cruciate ligaments medial plica meniscus from side meniscus from top muscles from front muscles from back

The cruciate ligaments are the important central 'stays' of the knee, contributing significantly to its stability. The word 'cruciate' means 'crossed', and the two ligaments are indeed crossed over one another, each attaching above to the femur and below to the tibia. This illustration looks at the joint from the front when the knee is bent., displaying the cruciates deep within the joint. The cruciate ligament towards the front is the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and that towards the back is the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL).

This close-up shows clearly the two ligaments crossing over. The word 'cruciate' means 'crossed'. The cruciate ligaments are also jokingly referred to as the 'crucial' ligaments, because they are so important in maintaining the stability of the knee. 

The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) attaches to the tibia at the back of the knee and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) attaches to the tibia at the front of the knee. Of the two, the anterior cruciate is the more important in this respect.

Note in the illustration on the right how the anterior cruciate ligament attaches, and the anatomy when the knee is bent and straightened. This is one of the reasons why ligament replacements do not do as good a job as the original ligament as this cannot be mimicked by the replacement.