The arcuate popliteal ligament is a thick and fibrous band of connective tissue that is connected from above to the femur’s lateral condyle, the bony projection on the outer edge of the lower extremity of the femur.
The ligament has a triangular shape and helps to complete the lower limb joint. It is a variable cluster of fibers that is located on the fibrous joint capsule’s (within the knee joint) posterior (rear) edge.
The ligament is characterized by a small attachment on the head of the fibula, or calf bone. The broad band travels in a downward and medial (toward the midline of the body) direction, while simultaneously combining with the back section of the fibrous capsule. The band arches directly over the tendon of the popliteus muscle and travels to the area in between the tibia, or shinbone, and the condyles on its way to the head of the fibula.
The arcuate popliteal ligament is located in close proximity to the fibular collateral ligament, the oblique popliteal ligament, and the fibula.