cru ‧ ci ‧ ate lig ‧ a ‧ ment /ˈkruːʃieɪt ˌlɪɡəmənt/ BrE AmE noun [countable] medical
one of two ↑ ligament s (=bands of strong material) in the knee that cross each other and connect the bones above and below the knee:
The Chelsea player suffered a torn cruciate ligament.