Anatomy 35 Flashcards
What type of joint is the knee joint?
Synovial hinge joint
What is the knee joint formed by?
Articulation between the femoral condyles and the tibial condyles
Describe the tibial plateaus
Are flat and do not provide a good fit for the femoral condyles
When do the femur and tibia achieve their ‘best fit’ with each other?
When the knee is extended, hence the knee is most stable in extension
What does the iliotibial tract attach to?
Attaches to the lateral aspect of the tibia and stabilises the knee
What are the menisci?
C-shaped cartilages that lie on the tibial plateaus
They are wedge-shaped, with the thickest part lying peripherally and the thinnest part lying centrally
What is the function of the menisci?
They deepen the tibial condyles for articulation with the femoral condyles
What is the medial meniscus attached to?
Attached to the joint capsule along its peripheral margin and is attached to the medial (tibial) collateral ligament
These attachments make it prone to injury if the knee is twisted
Describe features of the lateral meniscus?
Not attached to the lateral (fibular) collateral ligament; it can move more freely, so is less prone to injury.
What are the function of the collateral ligaments in the knee?
Support the knee and resist sideways movement of the tibia on the femur
What are the 2 types of collateral ligaments?
Medial (tibial) and Lateral (fibular)
What does the medial collateral ligament connect?
Connects the femur to the tibia
What does the lateral collateral ligament connect?
Connects the femur to the fibula
What is the medial collateral ligament attached to?
The medial meniscus
What happens to the collateral ligaments when the knee is flexed?
They are loose
What happens to the collateral ligaments when the knee is extended?
They are taut
What do the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments connect?
Connect the tibia to the femur and are named according to their attachments to the tibia
What happens to the cruciate ligaments when the knee is flexed?
They are lax
What happens to the cruciate ligaments when the knee is extended?
They are taut
What is the anterior cruciate ligament attached to?
The anterior part of the intercondylar area of the tibia.
It attaches to the medial aspect of the lateral condyle of the femur
What does the anterior cruciate ligament prevent?
Prevents the tibia moving anteriorly relative to the femur,
it prevents the femur moving posteriorly relative to the tibia
What does being able to pull the tibia anteriorly indicate?
ACL injury
What is the posterior cruciate ligament attached to?
Attached to the posterior part of the intercondylar area of the tibia.
It attaches to the lateral aspect of the medial condyle of the femur.
What does the posterior cruciate ligament prevent?
Prevents the tibia moving posteriorly relative to the femur,
it prevents the femur moving anteriorly relative to the tibia
What is the posterior cruciate ligament crucial for?
Stability of the knee when walking downhill or downstairs
What does being able to push the tibia posteriorly indicate?
PCL injury
What type of joint is the hip?
Synovial, ball and socket joint
What is the hip joint formed by?
Articulation between the acetabulum of the hip (innominate) bone and the femoral head
What is the weight of the body transmitted through?
The lumbar vertebrae and the sacroiliac joints to the hip joints
What is the function of the acetabular labrum?
Deepens the acetabulum
What is the ligament of the head of the femur?
Weak ligament that attaches the femoral head to the acetabulum
What is the joint capsule reinforced by?
Strong ligaments
What do the arteries from the hip joint mainly arise from?
The profunda femoris
What do the arteries of the hip joint give rise to?
Retinacular arteries that run along the neck of the femur to supply the femoral head.
They can be torn by fractures of the femoral neck.
What 3 ligaments stabilise the hip joint?
Iliofemoral
Pubofemoral
Ischiofemoral ligaments
What type of joint is the ankle?
Synovial hinge joint
What is the ankle formed by?
Articulation between the distal tibia, distal fibula and the talus.
What is the socket formed by the tibia and fibula for the talus called?
Ankle mortise
When is the ankle most stable?
In dorsiflexion
What is the ankle supported by?
Strong medial and lateral ligaments
What are the 3 ligaments that support the lateral aspect of the ankle joint?
Anterior talofibular,
Posterior talofibular and
The calcaneofibular.
What do the anterior talofibular, posterior talofibular and the calcaneofibular attach to?
Lateral malleolus
What do the ligaments that support the medial aspect of the ankle joint attach to?
Medial malleolus
What are the medial ligaments of the ankle also referred to as?
The deltoid ligament, because of the overall shape of the
ligaments as a group
What is the subtalar joint formed by?
Articulation of the talus with the calcaneum and navicular
What movement occurs at the subtalar joint?
Inversion and eversion of the foot
What is inversion?
Brings the sole of the foot medially
What is eversion?
Raises the lateral border of the foot and brings the sole of the foot laterally
What can forced inversion and eversion cause?
Can sprain the ligaments of the ankle
What is arthritis of the hip, knee and ankle joints?
Osteoarthritis of the hip joint and knee joint is very common. It causes progressive pain and limited mobility.
Hip and knee replacement are two of the commonest
surgical procedures undertaken in the UK.
Arthritis at the ankle also occurs
What is posterior dislocation of the hip?
Dislocation of the hip requires significant force because the joint is stable. Posterior dislocation of the femoral head tends to occur in car accidents, when the knee forcibly impacts the dashboard.
The force is transmitted along the femur and the head is forced posteriorly. The acetabulum may fracture.
A posterior dislocation risks injury to the sciatic nerve, which lies just behind the hip joint
What meniscal and ligament injuries occur at the knee?
The menisci can be torn by twisting injuries of the knee. Tears of the medial (tibial) collateral ligament result from a lateral blow to the knee or twisting injuries.
Because it is attached to the medial meniscus, the meniscus may also tear.
Anterior cruciate injury is typically caused when a flexed knee is twisted. It is a fairly common sporting injury, particularly amongst footballers.
The posterior cruciate is stronger than the ACL, but it can also be injured.
Ligament injuries cause instability of the joint.
What are ankle sprains?
Ankle sprains are very common and almost always result from a forced inversion of
the foot. Forced inversion stretches and tears the lateral ligament of the ankle,
resulting in pain and swelling over the lateral aspect of the ankle and foot. Forced
eversion sprains the deltoid (medial) ligament.
