posterior cruciate ligament

noun

: a cruciate ligament of each knee that attaches the back of the tibia with the front of the femur and functions especially to limit the backward motion of the tibia

Examples of posterior cruciate ligament in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Right guard Dominick Puni sustained a knee injury to his posterior cruciate ligament while blocking on an opening-drive field goal. —Cam Inman, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2025

Two collateral ligaments run along the outside, while the two cruciate ligaments—including the ACL in front and the posterior cruciate ligament, or PCL, in back—crisscross diagonally to hold things together from the inside of the joint. —Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 31 July 2025

Then in 2024, Alexander missed 10 games due to quadricep and groin injuries, as well as a torn posterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee. —Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025

The initial concern given the way his knee buckled was with the posterior cruciate ligament, or PCL, that crosses behind the knee joint and provides stability. —Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1981, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

posterior cruciate ligament

noun

: a cruciate ligament of each knee that is attached medially in back between the condyles of the tibia, that passes upward and forward through the middle of the knee crossing the anterior cruciate ligament to attach to the medial aspect of the femur, that functions to prevent hyperflexion of the knee and to keep the tibia from sliding backward in relation to the femur when the knee is flexed, and that is stronger and less subject to sports injury by tearing than the anterior cruciate ligament

called also PCL