Knee Ligaments: Injury Characteristics and Physical Examination Techniques

The knee joint is stabilized by numerous ligamentous structures including the anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, medial and lateral collateral ligaments, and structures which stabilize the posteromedial and posterolateral corners. Injury to these structures leads to pain and loss of function in many patients. The injury characteristics and clinical presentation of individuals with injuries to the above ligamentous structures are described in this chapter. Physical examination findings and provocative maneuvers are also discussed in detail. For each structure, imaging findings of both normal and injured structures are included.