Removing each knee ligament to test its function

Now that you're familiar with the normal motions, you're ready to knock out some ligaments. On page 1 of the activity worksheet, you'll find a table. There's a row for each of the motions that you practiced in the previous step and a column for each of the major ligaments of the knee. For this experiment, you'll remove each ligament (individually, not more than one at a time) and then go down the column, checking whether the motion corresponding to each row is normal or abnormal.

If you observe abnormal motion with the removal of a ligament, that means that ligament functions to limit that particular motion. For example, if you remove a ligament and the tibia is able to laterally rotate about its long axis beyond what is normal, the ligament that you removed functions to limit lateral longitudinal rotation.

For this experiment, you'll complete the table on page 1 of your worksheet, removing each remove each ligament and determine whether the resulting motion is normal or abnormal . Any abnormal motions 

Knocking out your knee kit's ligaments

Testing ligament function

Iliotibial (IT) band/tract

Lateral collateral ligament (LCL)

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)

Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)

Medial collateral ligament (MCL)