Purpose: a clinical rationale for using reference structures of the intercondylar space to determine the femoral footprint of the ACL. Material: sixty one patients with ACL deficiency who underwent anatomic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using single-bundle «bone-patellar tendon-bone» autograft. Methods: radiography and radiometry, computed tomography, arthroscopy, arthrometry. Results: lateral intercondylar and lateral bifurcate ridges can be verified arthroscopically with a frequency of 94% and 48%. Orientation of the femoral tunnel formed using reference structures is more horizontal in coronal plane and has increased sagittal slope compare with traditional technique. Conclusions: The lateral intercondylar and lateral bifurcate ridges can be used as reference structures for femoral tunnel formation during anatomical anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.