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It can be involved in high energy accidents and usually in association with ACL injuries. It resists varus (inward) force on the knee. LCL connects the lateral epicondyle of the femur to the head of the fibula tibia and is present on the outer side of the knee joint. It can be injured in sporting activities or accidents if something hits the knee from outer aspect. It resists valgus (outward) force on the knee. MCL connects the medial epicondyle of the femur to the medial condyle of the tibia and is present on the inner side of the knee joint. It provides a central axis about which the knee rotates. The PCL is the knee’s basic stabilizer and is almost twice as strong as the ACL.
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The PCL prevents the femur from moving too far forward over the tibia. If one of these ligaments is significantly damaged, the knee will be unstable when planting the foot of the injured extremity and pivoting, causing the knee to buckle and give way.
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Together with the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), ACL stabilizes the knee in a rotational fashion. The ACL prevents the femur from sliding backwards on the tibia (or the tibia sliding forwards on the femur). The ACL is located in the center of the knee joint and runs from the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone), through the center of the knee. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the major stabilizing ligament of the knee. As secondary stabilizers, the intact menisci interact with the stabilizing function of the ligaments and are most effective when the surrounding ligaments are intact. The menisci act as shock absorbers, protecting the articular surface of the tibia as well as assisting in rotation of the knee. The majority of the meniscus has no blood supply and for that reason, when damaged, the meniscus is unable to undergo the normal healing process that occurs in the rest of the body. The medial and the lateral meniscus are thin C-shaped layers of fibrocartilage, incompletely covering the surface of the tibia where it articulates with the femur. This helps in optimizing the force during straightening the leg at the knee joint. The patella acts as a fulcrum for the quadriceps by holding the quadriceps tendon off the lower end of the femur. The patella (kneecap), attached to the quadriceps tendon above and the patellar ligament below, rests against the anterior articular surface of the lower end of the femur and protects the knee joint. The articulation of the tibia and fibula also allows a slight degree of movement, providing an element of flexibility in response to the actions of muscles attaching to the fibula. The fibula, although not a weight bearing bone, provides attachment sites for the Lateral collateral ligaments (LCL) and the biceps femoris tendon along with tendons that go into the foot. The menisci act as shock absorbers, protecting the articular surface of the tibia as well as assisting in rotation and gliding movement of the knee. The menisci incompletely cover the superior surface of the tibia where it articulates with the femur.
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The tibia (shinbone), the second largest bone in the body, is the weight bearing bone of the leg. The ACL and PCL ligaments are attached to the femur in the area between the 2 condyles inferiorly and posteriorly. The groove between the two acts as the surface on which the knee cap glides during the movement of the knee. Its smooth articular surface allows the femur to move easily over the tibial (shinbone) meniscus. The two femoral condyles make up for the rounded end of the femur. It articulates with the pelvis socket to make the hip joint superiorly and with the shin bone below to make the knee joint below. It provides attachment to most of the muscles of the knee including Quadriceps, which is the largest muscle of the body. It is the weight bearing bone of the thigh. The femur (thighbone) is the largest and the strongest bone in the body.