Anterior cruciate ligament
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ligament: Anterior cruciate ligament | ||
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| Diagram of the right knee. (Anterior cruciate ligament labeled at center left.) | ||
| Latin | ligamentum cruciatum anterius | |
| Gray's | subject #93 342 | |
| From | lateral condyle of the femur | |
| To | intercondyloid eminence of the tibia | |
| Dorlands/Elsevier | l_09/12492099 | |
The anterior cruciate ligament (or ACL) is one of the four major ligaments of the knee.
It connects from a posterio-lateral part of the femur to an anterio-medial part of the tibia. These attachments allow it to resist forces pushing the tibia forward relative to the femur.
More specifically, it is attached to the depression in front of the intercondyloid eminence of the tibia, being blended with the anterior extremity of the lateral meniscus.
It passes up, backward, and laterally, and is fixed into the medial and back part of the lateral condyle of the femur.
Tearing of the ACL is a common injury among athletes. See anterior cruciate ligament injury for details.
[edit] See also
- Knee
- Lateral collateral ligament
- Medial collateral ligament
- Posterior cruciate ligament
- Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
[edit] Additional images
 Right knee-joint, from the front, showing interior ligaments. |
 Left knee-joint from behind, showing interior ligaments. |
 Head of right tibia seen from above, showing menisci and attachments of ligaments. |
 Capsule of right knee-joint (distended). Posterior aspect. |
[edit] External links
- ACL Patient Information
- ACL Injuries Explained - knee anatomy, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, injury prevention, treatment and rehabilitation
- The Knee Library - Articles on knee anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, injuries, injury prevention, and rehabilitation
- - Diagrams of Hamstring Reconstruction of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament
- SUNY Labs 17:02-0701 - "Major Joints of the Lower Extremity: Knee Joint"
- SUNY Figs 17:07-08 - "Superior view of the tibia."
- SUNY Figs 17:08-03 - "Medial and lateral views of the knee joint and cruciate ligaments."
- Dictionary at eMedicine Anterior+cruciate+ligament
- Mnemonic at medicalmnemonics.com 2081
| Joints and ligaments of lower limbs |
|---|
| coxal/hip: iliofemoral - pubofemoral - ischiofemoral - head of femur - transverse acetabular
knee-joint: patellar - popliteal (oblique, arcuate) - collateral (medial/tibial, fibular) - cruciate (anterior, posterior) - menisci (medial, lateral) talocrural/ankle: deltoid - external lateral of the ankle-joint (anterior talofibular - posterior talofibular - calcaneofibular) intertarsal-subtalar/talocalcaneal: anterior talocalcaneal - posterior talocalcaneal - lateral talocalcaneal - medial talocalcaneal - interosseous talocalcaneal intertarsal-talocalcaneonavicular: dorsal talonavicular intertarsal-calcaneocuboid: dorsal calcaneocuboid - bifurcated - long plantar - plantar calcaneocuboid intertarsal-transverse tarsal: plantar calcaneonavicular/spring cuneonavicular, cuboideonavicular, intercuneiform and cuneocuboid, tarsometatarsal/Lisfranc, intermetatarsal, metatarsophalangeal, interphalangeal |
