Knee Joint

Question 1

What are the attachments of the lateral collateral ligament?

Answer 1

Lateral epicondyle of the femur to the lateral head of the fibula

Question 2

What are the attachments of the medial collateral ligament?

Answer 2

Medial condyle of the femur to the medial condyle and superior medial surface of the tibia

Question 3

What are the bursae around the knee?

Answer 3

Suprapatellar
Subcutaneous prepatellar
Subcutaneous infrapatellar 
Gastrocnemius
Semimembranosus
Anserine
Popliteus

Question 4

What are the attachments of the posterior cruciate ligament?

Answer 4

Posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the lateral side of the medial condyle of the femur

Question 5

Describe the lateral meniscus

Answer 5

• Circular
• Freely moveable
• Attachment for the popliteus

Question 6

What is the arcuate ligament and what is its role?

Answer 6

Thickening of the capsule over the popliteus

Strengthns the posterolateral joint capsule

Question 7

What does the knee capsule fuse with anteriorly?

Answer 7

Fuses with the quadriceps tendon, patella and ligamentum patellae

Question 8

Which of the collateral ligaments is strong and rope like?

Answer 8

The LCL - see the image

The MCL is a flat thickening of the capsule

Question 9

What are the menisci?

Answer 9

Wedges of fibrocartilage that deepen the articular surface and act as shock absorbers

Question 10

What does the knee capsule fuse with posteriorly?

Answer 10

Encloses the intercondylar fossa of the femur. Open posterior to the lateral condyle of the tibia for the popliteus muscle (blue line)

Question 11

What type of joint is the knee?

Answer 11

Modified hinge joint

Question 12

Describe the medial meniscus

Answer 12

• C shaped
• Broad posteriorly
• Firmly attached to MCL

Question 13

What is the oblique popliteal ligament an expansion of and what is its role?

Answer 13

Expansion of the semimembranosus tendon

Reinfoces the posterior capsule

Question 14

What are the intracapsular ligaments of the knee?

Answer 14

Anterior and Posterior cruciate

Question 15

What structures are damaged in the unhappy triad?

Answer 15

Anterior cruciate ligament
Medial collateral ligament
Medial meniscus

Question 16

What are the articulations of the knee joint?

Answer 16

3 separate articulations

• Femoropatellar
• Femorotibial (x2)

Question 17

Which menisci is freely moveable?

Answer 17

Lateral meniscus

Question 18

What contribute to the periarticular genicular anastomosis?

Answer 18

Genicular branches from the popliteal artery
Descending genicular artery from the femoral artery
Descending branch from the lateral circumflex femoral artery
Branches from the anterior tibial recurrent artery

Question 19

What are the extracapsular ligaments of the knee?

Answer 19

Oblique popliteal
Arcuate popliteal
Medial and Lateral collateral

Question 20

What are the attachments of the anterior cruciate ligament?

Answer 20

Anterior intercondylar area of the tibia

Inserts into the medial side of the lateral condyle of the femur

Question 21

What is the role of the posterior cruciate ligament?

Answer 21

Prevents the femur from sliding anteriorly on the tibia, particularly when the knee is flexed

Question 22

What is the role of the anterior cruciate ligament?

Answer 22

Prevents the femur from sliding posteriorly on the tibia

Prevents hyperextension of the knee and limits medial rotation of the femur when the foot is planted

Question 23

What is the role of the cruciate ligaments?

Answer 23

They maintain contact between the femoral and tibial articular surfaces when the knee is flexed.
They wind around each other during medial rotation of the tibia (limited to around 10 degrees)