Ligaments of the Knee

by Dalton Harris, CPT

The knee is comprised of 4 different ligaments.  Ligaments are important for maintaining the structure of the knee.  They stabilize the jointand connect bone to bone.  In particular, the knee has the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and the later collateral ligament (LCL).  These ligaments help to aid the connection of the tibia to the femur (ACL, PCL, and MCL).  The LCL is important in connecting the fibula to the femur. 

The most commonly known ligament is the ACL.  This is a result of it being a ligament, that when damaged has an extensive recovery period.  It is also seen to be a season ending injury when “torn” in professional athletes.  However, this ligament is vital to the knee when doing rotational and forward movement.  When looking at the structure of the ACL it has a posterior and anterior bundle that aids toward keeping the knee stable when performing the mentioned movements. 

The meniscus is commonly referred to as a ligament of the knee by common people, but as Johnny mentioned in his blog on Tuesday (https://atomic-temporary-95804573.wpcomstaging.com/2024/01/30/knee-anatomy/) it is actually fibrocartilage, that is influential in reduce bone on bone friction.  This cartilage wears down overtime and can lead to osteoarthritis in aging population.  Strength training will then be beneficial to help absorb additional force to reduce friction between femur and tibia in aging populations.   

Image: https://www.knee-pain-explained.com/knee-ligaments.html