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The main ligaments of the knee are:
The Anterior Cruciate Ligament is a thick strong ligament in the middle of the knee. It originates from the middle of the front of the tibia and passes upwards, backwards, and laterally (outwards), attaching to the femur on the medial (inner) side of the lateral femoral condyle. The ligament stops the tibia from sliding too far forwards on the femur (also stopping the femur from slipping too far backwards on the tibia).
The Posterior Cruciate Ligament is the largest and strongest ligament in the knee. It originates from the middle of the back of the tibia and passes upwards, forwards and medially, attaching to the femur on the lateral side of the medial femoral condyle. The PCL stops the tibia from sliding too far backwards on the femur (also stopping the femur from slipping too far forwards on the tibia).
The Medial Collateral Ligament is situated on the inner side of the knee. It is a broad thick ligament with a short deep portion and a longer superficial part. It prevents the lower leg from bending outwards (into valgus).
The Lateral Collateral Ligament is situation on the outer side of the knee and is a thin cord-like ligament. It passes from the lateral epicondyle of the femur to the fibular head and prevents the lower leg from bending inwards (into varus).
The structures of the Postero-Lateral Corner have only really become the focus of particular interest over the last 5 to 10 years or so. The Postero-Lateral Corner is a complex region of the knee and includes the popliteus muscle/tendon, the arcuate ligament, the popliteofibular ligament and the lateral collateral ligament. Things are made more difficult by the fact that so many of the descriptions of the anatomy of the PLC differ significantly in their interpretation of the region. Regardless of the finer points, the PLC functions so as to limit excessive external rotation of the tibia on the femur.