Knee Flashcards
What are the 2 joints of the knee?
- Tibiofemoral joint
- Patellafemoral joint
What are the 3 most common types of knee injuries seen clinically?
- Unspecified sprains, strains or overuse injuries
- Contusions
- Meniscal or ligamentous injuries
Which knee joint is the largest joint in the body?
the tibiofemoral joint
The tibiofemoral joint has _ degrees of freedom, what are they?
3:
Flexion/Extension
Internal Rotation/External Rotation
Abduction/Adduction
The lateral condyle serves as the origin of what 3 structures?
- Popliteus
- Lateral head of the gastrocnemius
- Lateral collateral ligament (LCL)
The medial condyle serves as the origin of what 3 structures?
- Adductor magnus
- Medial head of the gastrocnemius
- Medial collateral ligament (MCL)
Tibial plateaus are con___ in the mediolateral direction
concave
The medial tibial plateau is con___ in the A/P direction
concave
The lateral tibial plateau is con___ in the A/P direction
convex
Does the medial or lateral tibial plateau have a larger surface area? How much larger is it?
The medial plateau has a surface area that is approximately 50% greater than that of the lateral plateau
Medial plateau’s articular surface is __ times thicker than the lateral plateau’s
3
The presence of what accentuates the concavity of the tibial plateaus?
the menisci
What is the resting position of the tibiofemoral joint?
25 degrees of flexion
What is the closed-packed position of the tibiofemoral joint?
Full Extension and External Rotation of the Tibia
What is the capsular pattern for the tibiofemoral joint?
Flexion > Extension
What type of joint is the patellofemoral joint?
Modified plane joint
The patella has _ facets. What are they?
5: Odd Superior Inferior Medial Lateral
Which patellar facet is most frequently affected with chondromalacia patella?
the odd facet
What are the 5 functions of the patellofemoral joint?
- Provide the articulation with low friction
- Protect the distal aspect of the femur from trauma and the quadriceps from attritional wear
- Improve the cosmetic appearance of the knee
- Improve the moment arm (distance between the center of gravity and the center of rotation) of the quadriceps
- Decrease the amount of A/P tibiofemoral shear stress placed on the joint
Describe the positioning of the knee joint capsule in reference to the patella. What does it form?
The capsule ascends superiorly/anteriorly above the patella to form the suprapatellar pouch
What lines the inner portion of the knee joint capsule?
synovial membrane
What does the synovial membrane exclude from the interior portion of the knee joint?
the cruciate ligaments
The cruciate ligaments are ___-synovial and ___-articular
extrasynovial and intra-articular
What type of the joint is the proximal tibiofemoral joint?
Plane synovial joint between the Tibia and the Fibular Head