MCL stands for which ligament?

• A. Medial Collateral Ligament
• B. Medial Cruciate Ligament
• C. Lateral Collateral Ligament
• D. Medial Anterior Ligament

Answer: (A)

In knee anatomy, names reflect where the ligament sits and what it does. The MCL is the ligament on the inner (medial) side of the knee that connects the femur to the tibia and helps resist forces pushing the knee inward, providing medial stability. That makes Medial Collateral Ligament the correct designation for MCL.

The other phrasings aren’t standard knee ligaments: “Medial Cruciate Ligament” would imply a cross-shaped ligament inside the knee, but the true cruciate ligaments are the ACL and PCL. “Lateral Collateral Ligament” refers to the outer knee ligament (LCL), not the inner one. “Medial Anterior Ligament” isn’t a recognized name for a knee ligament.