ABSTRACT
Knowledge of the role of the ligaments in movement and stability of the knee joint is crucial for the diagnosis of ligament damage and for orthopaedic interventions such as ligament repair and replacement. From studies of the geometry of the articular surfaces and of the anterior (ACL) and posterior (PCL) cruciate ligaments in models of crossed four-bar mechanisms it has been suggested that the ligaments are important for the control of fine-tuned motion of the knee (Mtiller, 1983) such as occurs in football and soccer. Essential in this concept is that the links of the mechanism behave isometrically during movement.
