Knee - Anatomy

Knee joint

The knee joint comprises three bones: the femur, tibia and patella. On the joint side is covered with a layer of bone cartilage.

 

Patella

The patella tendon is situated in the large thigh muscle, the quadriceps. The tendon is attached to the lower limb and allows the knee stretching. On the back / inside of the knee are the hamstrings situated. This muscle group bends the knee. The articular disks of the knee-joint, or menisci, serve to protect the ends of the bones from rubbing on each other and to effectively deepen the tibial sockets into which the femur attaches. They also play a role in shock absorption.

 

Knee Straps

The knee is stabilized by a pair of cruciate ligaments. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) stretches from the lateral condyle of femur to the anterior intercondylar area. The ACL is important because it provide stability and  prevents the tibia from being pushed too far anterior relative to the femur,  for example during climbing stairs. On both sides of the knee collateral bonds are placed and prevents the knee in an X or O mode and thus provide stability. The joint is bathed in synovial fluid which is contained inside the synovial membrane, called the joint capsule.  The synovial fluid allows the knee to move smoothly.