Anterior Cruciate Ligament Anatomy - ACL

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a band of dense connective tissue which courses from the femur to the tibia. The ACL runs diagonally in the middle of the knee. It prevents the tibia from sliding out in front of the femur, as well as provides rotational stability to the knee (is a key structure as it resists anterior tibial translation and rotational loads). When the knee is extended, the ACL has a mean length of 32 mm and a width of 7-12 mm.
The ACL originates at the medial wall of the lateral femoral condyle and inserts into the middle of the intercondylar area. It contributes significantly to the stabilization and kinematics of the knee joint.