Bones of the Knee Joint
Copyright 2009
Ashley Davidoff MD
Parts
Bones of the Knee
The femur is the largest, longest and strongest bone in the body. The components that contribute to the knee joint are the condyles separated by the intercondylar notch.
The tibia is the second longest bone in the body. The top of the tibia is composed of two plateaus (aka condyles) with the intercondylar eminence between them consisting of medial and lateral tibial tubercles. The condyles of the femur fit onto the tibial plateaus. The articular cartilage of both bones separated by the menisci of the tibia prevent bone on bone contact and allow for smooth movement and stability.
The patella is a sesamoid bone and has a triangular interface with the intercondylar notch in the patellofemoral groove, a flat anterior surface and a rounded shape when viewed from the front. As a sesamoid bone it is found at the distal end of the quadriceps tendon and acts as an intermediary between the quadriceps and the insertion of the patella tendon on the tibial tubercle. .
The fibula is long, thin bone in the lower leg on the lateral side, and runs along side the tibia from the knee to the ankle. Although it does not participate in the joint surfaces of the knee it is an integral part of the knee joint.
In general the condyles are round and the tibial plateaus are relatively flat. Therefore the knee has to find a way to stabilize and provide mobility to the joint that has a rounded structure interacting with the flat surface and it does this by a group of ligaments that surround it. .
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