| Posterior cruciate ligament | |
|---|---|
 Diagram of the knee | |
| Details | |
| From | Antero-lateral aspect of medial femoral condyle |
| To | Posterolateral aspect of proximal tibia |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | ligamentum cruciatum posterius genus |
| MeSH | D016119 |
| TA98 | A03.6.08.008 |
| TA2 | 1891 |
| FMA | 44617 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is a ligament in each knee of humans and various other animals. It works as a counterpart to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). It connects the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the medial condyle of the femur. This configuration allows the PCL to resist forces pushing the tibia posteriorly relative to the femur.
The PCL and ACL are intracapsular ligaments because they lie deep within the knee joint. They are both isolated from the fluid-filled synovial cavity, with the synovial membrane wrapped around them. The PCL gets its name by attaching to the posterior portion of the tibia.[1]
The PCL, ACL, MCL, and LCL are the four main ligaments of the knee in primates.
- ^ Saladin, K. S. 2010. Anatomy & Physiology: 5th edition. McGraw-Hill[page needed]