PCL Anatomy¶
This section describes the PCL anatomy, including the bundles represented in the model and the femoral and tibial insertion sites.
General Description¶
- Femoral insertion: The femoral insertion can span from the trochlear notch to the inner surface of the medial femoral condyle. The femoral attachment of the PCL extends more than 20 mm in an anterior–posterior (AP) direction across the roof and medial side of the femoral intercondylar notch [AGBE05].
- Tibial insertion: posterior aspect of the tibia, between two prominences which are the posterior aspects of the medial and tibial plateau [AZW+12].
The lab models the PCL as two functional bundles, the anterolateral (alPCL) and posteromedial (pmPCL).

Fig. 7 The alPCL (labeled ALB) and pmPCL (labeled PMB) bundles [AZW+12].

Fig. 8 The alPCL (labeled ALB) and pmPCL (labeled PMB) femoral insertions for a right knee [AZW+12].

Fig. 9 The alPCL (labeled ALB) and pmPCL (labeled PMB) femoral insertions for a right knee [AZW+12].

Fig. 10 The alPCL (labeled ALB) and pmPCL (labeled PMB) tibial insertions for a right knee [AZW+12].

Fig. 11 The alPCL (labeled ALB) and pmPCL (labeled PMB) tibial insertions for a right knee [AZW+12].
alPCL¶
- Femoral insertion: approximately 112 mm^2 in area, with the center being ~7.4 mm to the trochlear point, and ~7.9 mm from the distal articular cartilage Fig. 9 [AZW+12].
- Tibial insertion: t approximately 88 mm^2 in area. The insertion is anterior to the pmPCL tibial insertion. The center of the insertion area is ~8.6 mm from the lateral cartilage point Fig. 11 [AZW+12].
Note
- When modeling the ligament as a bundle of nonlinear springs that are linearly mapped across the insertion site:
- The femur’s more anterior point corresponds with the tibia’s more lateral point
- The femur’s more posteriomedial point corresponds with the tibia’s more medial point
pmPCL¶
- Femoral insertion: approximately 60 mm^2 in area, with the center being about ~18.8 mm from the trochlear point and ~8.6 mm from the distal articular cartilage Fig. 9 [AZW+12].
- Tibial insertion: approximately 105 mm^2 in area. The insertion is posterior to the alPCL tibial insertion Fig. 9 Fig. 8. [AZW+12].
Note
- When modeling the ligament as a bundle of nonlinear springs that are linearly mapped across the insertion site:
- The femur’s more anterior point corresponds with the tibia’s more lateral point
- The femur’s more posterior point corresponds with the tibia’s more medial point
[AGBE05] | A. A. Amis, C. M. Gupte, A. M. J. Bull, and A. Edwards. Anatomy of the posterior cruciate ligament and the meniscofemoral ligaments. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy, 14(3):257–263, October 2005. URL: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00167-005-0686-x, doi:10.1007/s00167-005-0686-x. |
[AZW+12] | (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) Colin J Anderson, Connor G Ziegler, Coen A Wijdicks, Lars Engebretsen, and Robert F LaPrade. Arthroscopically Pertinent Anatomy of the Anterolateral and Posteromedial Bundles of the Posterior Cruciate Ligament:. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery-American Volume, 94(21):1936–1945, November 2012. URL: http://content.wkhealth.com/linkback/openurl?sid=WKPTLP:landingpage&an=00004623-201211070-00003, doi:10.2106/JBJS.K.01710. |