The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is located in the center of the knee joint. It connects the thighbone (femur) to the shinbone (tibia) and runs diagonally in the middle of the knee, crossing with the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) to form an "X" shape inside the knee

. More specifically:

• The ACL originates from the anterior intercondylar area of the tibia, near the attachment of the medial meniscus.
• It extends upwards and backwards to attach to the posteromedial side of the lateral femoral condyle on the femur

• It is inside the joint capsule but has no synovial covering, and it is composed of two bundles: the anteromedial bundle and the posterolateral bundle

Functionally, the ACL stabilizes the knee by preventing the tibia from sliding forward relative to the femur and by limiting rotational movements and hyperextension of the knee

. In summary, the ACL is an intracapsular ligament crossing inside the knee joint, connecting the front part of the tibia to the back and side of the femur, centrally located to stabilize the knee during movement