Anatomical study of the posterior cruciate ligament with the knee flexed at 90°.

OBJECTIVE: To study the anatomy of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and define anatomical parameters with the knee flexed at 90°.

METHODS: Eight knees from cadavers were dissected in order to make measurements from the center of the anterolateral band to the roof (AL1), from the center of the anterolateral band to the anterior cartilage (AL2), from the center of the posteromedial band to the roof (PM1), from the center of the posteromedial band to the anterior cartilage (PM2), from the center of the tibial insertion to the medial region of the tibia (TIM), from the center of the tibial insertion to the lateral region of the tibia (TIL), from the center of the medial insertion to the medial meniscus (IMM) and the width of the origin of the PCL (WO). To obtain the results from each anatomical structure, the means and standard deviations of the measurements were calculated.

RESULTS: The measurements in millimeters that were found were AL1, 6.2; AL2, 4.9; PM1, 11.7; PM2, 5.5; TIM, 32.5; TIL, 40.6; IMM, 9.4; and WO, 32.5.

CONCLUSIONS: The PCL has an extensive origin. The center of the anterolateral band is 6 mm from the roof and 5 mm from the anterior cartilage of the knee. The tibial insertion is slightly medial and 10 mm distal to the posterior cornu of the medial meniscus.