Major Landmarks - Knee

Knee stability

The menisci and two important pairs of ligaments, the collaterals and the cruciates

LCL (lateral collateral ligament)

connects the lateral femoral epicondyle and the head of the fibula. The MCL and LCL provide medial and lateral stability to the knee joint.

PCL (posterior cruciate ligament)

crosses from the posterior tibia and lateral meniscus to the medial femoral condyle, preventing the tibia from slipping backward on the femur. Because these ligaments lie within the knee joint, they are not palpable. They are nonetheless crucial to the anteroposterior stability of the knee"

ACL (anterior cruciate ligament)

crosses obliquely from the anterior medial tibia to the lateral femoral condyle, preventing the tibia from sliding forward on the femur."

medial and lateral menisci

cushion the action of the femur on the tibia. These crescent-shaped fibrocartilaginous discs add a cuplike surface to the otherwise flat tibial plateau.

medial surface of the knee

the adductor tubercle, the medial epicondyle of the femur, and the medial condyle of the tibia.

anterior surface

the patella, which rests on the anterior articulating surface of the femur midway between the epicondyles, embedded in the tendon of the quadriceps muscle. This tendon continues below the knee joint as the patellar tendon, which inserts distally on the tibial tuberosity

adductor tubercle

A small prominence at the uppermost part of the medial femoral condyle

patella

Knee cap

negative infrapatellar space

Spaces Medial and Lateral to the Patella

tibiofemoral joint.

facing the knee, place your thumbs in the soft-tissue depressions on either side of the patellar tendon

Knee

hinge joint involving three bones: the femur, the tibia, and the patella (or knee cap), with three articular surfaces, two between the femur and the tibia and one between the femur and the patella.

lateral surface of the knee

lateral epicondyle of the femur, the lateral condyle of the tibia, and the head of the fibula

MCL (medial collateral ligament)

not easily palpable, is a broad, flat ligament connecting the medial femoral epicondyle to the medial ligament condyle of the tibia.