![Picture](/uploads/6/6/3/1/66314365/6176518.jpg?1448319615)
There are four main ligaments that connect the femur to the tibia:
- 1) Medial collateral ligament (MCL) - along inner knee; prevents knee from bending in
- AKA tibial collateral ligament
- runs from the medial femur to medial tibia; also connects with the medial meniscus
- 2) Lateral collateral ligament (LCL) - along outer knee; prevents knee from bending out
- AKA fibular collateral ligament
- runs from the lateral femur to the lateral fibula; does not connect with the lateral meniscus
- 3) Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) - in middle of the knee; prevents tibia from moving anterior to femur
- the ACL runs from the posterior femur to the anterior tibia
- 3) Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) - in middle of knee, prevents tibia from moving posterior to femur
- the PCL runs from the anterior femur to the posterior tibia
Gender Differences
There are also several anatomical differences in how females and males are structured, which may increase the risk for ACL injury in females. Females have a smaller intercondylar notch, which decreases the amount of space the ACL has to move. The closer femoral condyles can then pinch the ACL, which can lead to a tear. Females also have a wider pelvis, which places more strain on the ligaments supporting the knee when they are twisted. This creates a larger Q angle, which is the angle between the quadriceps and patellar tendon, which also increases risk of an ACL injury. Typically, females also have less muscle mass compared with males. Without this muscle mass, females tend to rely more on their ligaments for knee stabilization. There is also some evidence that hormone levels in females can alter the strength and laxity of ligaments, which could also increase risk for an ACL injury in females.
|