A cruciate ligament is a large ligament right in the middle of the knee. There are two of them - anterior (ACL) and posterior (PCL).
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| The word 'cruciate' means 'crossed', referring to the fact that the two cruciate ligaments cross over one another in the centre of the joint. | Here the bones are distracted so that you can see the attachments of both anterior and posterior cruciate ligament. |
What do the cruciate ligaments do?
These ligaments are very important structures, connecting the thighbone (femur) and the shinbone (tibia) and stabilising the joint from frontwards and backwards forces.
Synonyms:
Crucial ligament
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Biomechanics of the anterior cruciate ligament: Physiology, rupture and reconstruction techniques Domnick C, Raschke MJ and Herbort M. World J Orthop. 2016 Feb 18; 7(2): 82–93.
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