An anatomical study of the caprine posterior cruciate ligament

Abstract Introduction The pathophysiology and treatment techniques for posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injuries and diseases are currently controversial and leave much room for improvement. However, the caprine PCL anatomy is not well known. Methods Forty-three caprine knees without degenerative or traumatic changes were studied. Results The passive range of motion was 42.1 ± 9.0°to 145.0 ± 8.3°for the caprine knee. The PMB was tighter than the ALB at the most extended angle of the knee. As the knee became flexed, the ALB became taut whereas the PMB was first relaxed and then taut. The insertion area of the ALB was 43.6 ± 9.3 mm 2 in the femur and 23.2 ± 5.1 mm 2 in the tibia, respectively. And that of the PMB was 19.1 ± 4.6 mm 2 and 39.6 ± 8.6 mm 2 , respectively. The distance between the insertion centers of the two bundles was 7.23 ± 0.29 mm on the femur and 5.67 ± 0.69 mm on the tibia. Discussion Quantitative data on the size and morphology of the PCL anatomy were obtained on caprine knees, which provides guidance for future translational research on the sheep model to improve surgical techniques for surgical reconstruction and other PCL treatments.