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Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)

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Illustration of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)

Illustration copyright 2000 Nucleus Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.nucleusinc.com

Front view of the right knee joint with the kneecap (patella) removed.

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) links the upper leg bone (femur) with one of the lower leg bones (tibia) by running crosswise inside the center of the knee joint. The ACL stabilizes knee movement in a forward and backward direction.

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Last Updated: 05/16/2008