American Journal of Sports Medicine

Christos D. Papageorgiou, MD, Jorge E. Gil, Akihiro Kanamori, MD, James A. Fenwick, MD, Savio L-Y. Woo, PhD, Freddie H. Fu, PhD


To establish a quantitative biomechanical relationship between the anterior cruciate ligament and the medial meniscus, 10 human cadaveric knees were examined using the robotic/universal force-moment sensor testing system. In response to a combined 134-N anterior and 200-N axial compressive tibial loads, the resulting kinematics of the knee and the in situ forces in the anterior cruciate ligament, the anterior cruciate ligament graft, and the medial meniscus were measured. Anterior tibial translation significantly increased after anterior cruicate ligament transection, between 6.8 + 2.3 mm at full extension and 12.6 + 3.3 mm at 30ƒ of flexion. Consequently, the resultant forces on the medial meniscus, ranging 52 + 30 N to 63 + 51 N between full extension and 90ƒ of knee flexion in the intact knee, were doubled as a result of anterior cruciate ligament deficiency. However, after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, anterior tibial translations were restored to the levels of the intact knee, and this the forces on the medial meniscus were restored as well. Likewise, the in situ forces in the anterior cruciate ligament replacement graft increased between 33% and 50% after medial meniscectomy.