bones
patella
The kneecap by another name, the patella is the small bone that is in the front of the knee. The patella is a sesamoid bone, a little bone (sesamoid = like a sesame seed) that is embedded in a joint capsule or tendon, in this case the tendon of insertion of the quadriceps muscle (the "quad").
hamstring muscle group
are a group of muscles and their tendons at the rear of the upper leg. They include the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus. The hamstrings flex the knee joint, adduct the leg, and extend the thigh to the backside of the body.They are used in walking and running
fibula
the inner and typically larger of the two bones between the knee and the ankle (or the equivalent joints in other terrestrial vertebrates), parallel with the fibula.
tibia
the inner and typically larger of the two bones between the knee and the ankle (or the equivalent joints in other terrestrial vertebrates), parallel with the fibula.
lateral meniscus
(external semilunar fibrocartilage) is a fibrocartilaginous band that spans the lateral side of the interior of the knee joint. It is one of two menisci of the knee, the other being the medial meniscus. It is nearly circular and covers a larger portion of the articular surface than the media
patella tendon ligament
A ligament is a type of fibrous tissue that usually connects two bones. Specifically, the ligament connects the patella to the top of the tuberosity (a ridge-like prominence) of the tibia, or shinbone. Above the kneecap, the tendon of the quadriceps femoris muscle attaches to the femur, or thighbone.
femur
a bone in the human leg extending from the pelvis to the knee, that is the longest, largest, and strongest in the body; thighbone.
quadrceps muscle group
also called simply the quadriceps, quadriceps extensor, or quads, is a large muscle group that includes the four prevailing muscles on the front of the thigh.
gerdy's turburcle
is a lateral tubercle of the tibia, located where the iliotibial tract inserts. It was named after French surgeon Pierre Nicolas Gerdy (1797-1856). ... It is the point of insertion for the Iliotibial band of the lateral thigh.
posterior cruciate ligament
is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It connects the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the medial condyle of the femur. This configuration allows the PCL to resist forces pushing the tibia posteriorly relative to the femur.
anterior cruciate ligament
of each knee that attaches the front of the tibia with the back of the femur and functions especially to prevent hyperextension of the knee and is subject to injury especially by tearing — called also ACL.
medial meniscus
of the knee: The word "meniscus" refers to a crescent-shaped structure. The medial meniscus of the knee is a thickened crescent-shaped cartilage pad between the two joints formed by the femur (the thigh bone) and the tibia (the shin bone). The meniscus acts as a smooth surface for the joint to move on.
lateral collateral ligament
of the outer knee that connects the lateral epicondyle of the femur with the lateral side of the head of the fibula and that helps to stabilize the knee by preventing lateral dislocation — called also fibular collateral ligament, LCL; compare medial collateral ligament 1.
medial colleteral ligament
or tibial collateral ligament (TCL), is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial (inner) side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. Its primary function is to resist valgus forces on the knee.
pes ansernie
refers to the conjoined tendons of three muscles that insert onto the anteromedial (front and inside) surface of the proximal extremity of the tibia. The muscles are the sartorius, gracilis and semitendinosus sometimes referred to as the guy ropes.
