Anterior cruciate ligament

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Ligament: Anterior cruciate ligament
Image:Knee diagram.png
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 anterior translation of the tibia, in relation 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.

1 Injury
2 References
3 See also
4 Additional images
5 External links

[edit] Injury

Image:Acap.svg

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Main article: anterior cruciate ligament injury

Although there are many ACL injuries, the ACL is next to the most commonly injured knee ligament, the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)^[1] and commonly injured by athletes. The ACL is often torn during sudden dislocation, tortion, or hyperextension of the knee. It is a very common injury in football, hockey, skiing, skating and basketball, due to the enormous amount of pressure, weight and number of blows the knee must withstand.

Diagnosis

The Lachman test is supported by most authorities to be the most reliable and sensitive maneuver for the diagnosis of an ACL tear.

[edit] References

^ Widuchowski, Widuchowski, Widuchowski (2007). "Articular cartilage defects: Study of 25,124 knee arthroscopies". PMID 17428666.

[edit] See also

[edit] Additional images

Gray347.png

Right knee-joint, from the front, showing interior ligaments.

Gray348.png

Left knee-joint from behind, showing interior ligaments.

Gray349.png

Head of right tibia seen from above, showing menisci and attachments of ligaments.

Gray352.png

Capsule of right knee-joint (distended). Posterior aspect.

[edit] External links

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Reconstruction
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."
Anterior+cruciate+ligament at eMedicine Dictionary
Mnemonic at medicalmnemonics.com 2081

v • d • e 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, lateral/fibular) - cruciate (anterior, posterior) - menisci (medial, lateral)
Tibiofibular	Superior tibiofibular: anterior of the head of the fibula - posterior of the head of the fibula Inferior tibiofibular: anterior of the lateral malleolus - posterior of the lateral malleolus
Talocrural/ankle	deltoid - external lateral of the ankle-joint (anterior talofibular, posterior talofibular, calcaneofibular)
Foot - intertarsal	Subtalar/talocalcaneal: anterior talocalcaneal - posterior talocalcaneal - lateral talocalcaneal - medial talocalcaneal - interosseous talocalcaneal Talocalcaneonavicular: dorsal talonavicular Calcaneocuboid: dorsal calcaneocuboid - bifurcated - long plantar - plantar calcaneocuboid Transverse tarsal: plantar calcaneonavicular/spring
Foot - other	Cuneonavicular, Cuboideonavicular, Intercuneiform and cuneocuboid, Tarsometatarsal/Lisfranc, Intermetatarsal, Metatarsophalangeal, Interphalangeal Arches of the foot (Longitudinal, Transverse) Plantar cuneonavicular ligaments