anterior cruciate ligament

noun

: a cruciate ligament of each knee that attaches the front of the tibia with the back of the femur and functions especially to prevent hyperextension of the knee and is subject to injury especially by tearing

called also ACL

Examples of anterior cruciate ligament in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Unfortunately, one night while playing a late tennis tournament in college, Ekmark planted her feet wrong and tore her ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), one of the main ligaments in the knee. —Ernestine Siu, CNBC, 17 Nov. 2025

Midseason blows followed, as rookie Caiya Hanks and newcomer Julie Dufour suffered anterior cruciate ligament tears, only deepening the challenge. —Asli Pelit, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025

Bo and Faye are both retired after Bo tore his anterior cruciate ligament in January. —Ryan Mancini, The Hill, 8 Nov. 2025

Defensive end Mykel Williams sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament late in Sunday’s win, the same injury that took out fellow opening-day starter Nick Bosa in Week 3. —Cam Inman, Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

anterior cruciate ligament

noun

: a cruciate ligament of each knee that is attached in front to the more medial aspect of the tibia, that passes upward, backward, and laterally through the middle of the knee crossing the posterior cruciate ligament to attach to the femur, that functions to prevent hyperextension of the knee and to keep the tibia from sliding forward in relation to the femur, and that is subject to sports injury especially by tearing

called also ACL