Lower Leg and Knee Joint Flashcards
Which leg bone is located medially in the body?
Tibia
What structure is the enlarged distal end of the tibia?
Medial Malleolus
What divided the tibial plateau?
Intercondylar eminence
What general shape is the shaft of the tibia?
Triangular
Where is the tibial tuberosity located and what is its function?
On the anterior surface of the proximal tibial shaft; it is the attachment point for the quadriceps tendon.
Where is the site for Osgoode Schlatters disease?
Tibial Tuberosity.
Briefly explain Osgoode schlatters.
The quadriceps tendon pulls on the tibial tuberosity due to growing or overuse and can result in pain and later in life an enlarged tibial tuberosity.
Does the proximal portion of the fibula articulate with the knee joint?
No.
Which malleolus descends further down?
Lateral malleolus
What is the lateral bone of the lower leg?
Fibula
What type of joint is the proximal tibiofibular joint?
Synovial Gliding.
Where does the fibula articulate with the tibia proximally?
With the lateral tibial condyle.
What are the 2 capsular ligaments of the proximal tibiofibular joint?
- Anterior Superior Tibiofibular Ligament
- Posterior Superior Tibiofibular Ligament
In which direction do the fibres of the intermediate tibiofibular joint run?
Inferolaterally
Which tibiofibular joint is a Syndesmoses fibrous joint?
Inferior/Distal
What are the 2 supporting ligaments of the distal tibiofibular joint?
- Anterior inferior Tibiofibular Ligament
- Posterior Inferior Tibiofibular Ligament
Where do high ankle sprains occur?
Inferior Tibiofibular Joint
Which tibiofibular joint is essential for normal movement of the ankle? What about stability?
Movement: Proximal Tibiofibular Joint
Stability: Distal Tibiofibular Joint
Which ligament is the patella embedded within?
Patellar tendon.
What type of joint is the paterllofemoral joint?
Synovial Gliding Joint
Why does the paterllofemoral joint usually dislocate laterally?
Because of the increased Q angle and lateral pull of the muscles.
What type of joint is the knee joint? Why?
Modified Synovial Hinge Joint; because aside from allowing for flexion/extension, the knee also allows for a small amount of rotation
Why is the knee joint architecturally unstable?
Because of the round femoral condyles and the flat tibial plateau.
Which leg bone does not participate in the knee joint?
Fibula
The superior tibiofibular joint is what type of joint?
Synovial Plane
Which 3 bones are involved in the knee joint?
- Femur
- Patella
- Tibia
Which condylar surface of the tibial plateau is longer and more narrow to match the femoral condyles?
The medial condylar surface is longer and narrower than the later condylar surface.
The menisci are attached to the tibial plateaus by which ligaments?
Coronary Ligaments
Describe the orientation of both the medial and lateral menisci.
Lateral Meniscus: Circular in shape, smaller than the medial meniscus, not attached to the joint capsule (more moveable), horns are close together
Medial: semilunar in shape, horns are far apart, attached to the joint capsule
What are the attachment points of the MCL of the knee?
Medial femoral epicondyle (proximal) and the medial surface of the tibia (distal)
Is the MCL an accessory or capsular ligament of the knee?
Capsular (part of the joint capsule)
Which collateral ligament of the knee resists a valgus force?
Medial Collateral Ligament
Which collateral ligament is an accessory ligament of the knee?
Lateral Collateral Ligament
What are the attachment points of the LCL of the knee?
Lateral epicondyle of the femur(proximal) and the fibular head (distal)
The LCL restricts which type of force?
Varus force
What does extrasynovial mean?
The ligaments are outside of the synovial membrane
List the attachment points of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament.
A; attaches to the Anterior portion of the Intercondylar eminence
P; runs in a Posterior direction
EX; runs towards the EXternal aspect of the lateral femoral condyle on the medial surface
What type of dislocation does the ACL prevent?
Anterior dislocation (prevents tibia from going forward)
Which cruciate ligament prevents the tibia from going back off the femur?
Posterior Cruciate Ligament
List the attachments for PAIN of the PCL.
P; attaches to the Posterior aspect of the condylar eminence
A; runs in an Anterior direction toward the from of the knee joint
IN; runs inward towards the INternal aspect of the knee (medial femoral condyles lateral surface)
Which cruciate ligament is essential for knee stability while the other is not so much?
MCL
How can the cruciate ligaments be viewed?
ONLY when the knee is flexed at 90 degrees.
What are the functions of the bursal sacs of the knee and surrounding area?
Protection of friction or direct trauma
Which bursal sac is located between the patella and the superficial skin?
Pre-patellar bursa
Where is Pes Anserine located and what does it protect?
Distal to the tibial tuberosity and protects the tendons of 3 muscles at their insertion
Which muscle assists in the screw home mechanism?
Popliteus muscle
Which femoral condyle is longer?
Medial femoral condyle
Explain the screw home mechanism.
During knee extension the femoral condyles roll on the tibia and the later articular surface is first to be used up, the femur then medially rotates on the lateral condyle as the rolling action of the femur continues on the medial condyle now leaving the joint locked into extension.
In a non-weight bearing situation (sitting for example), how does the bones of the knee/leg rotate?
- Tibia rotates laterally as full knee extension approaches
- Tibia rotates medially to unlock the joint to begin flexion
In a weight bearing situation how does the knee rotate?
- Femur rotates medially as full knee extension approaches
- Femur rotates laterally to unlock knee into the start of flexion
Regarding the screw home mechanism, which bone rotates for both and open chain and closed chain situation?
- Open Chain/ Non-Weight Bearing = tibia
- Closed Chain/Weight Bearing = femur
The superior tibiofibular joint is what type of joint?
a) fibrous
b) cartilaginous
c) synovial plane
d) synovial pivot
e) synovial Condyloid
c) synovial plane
Which ligament resists an extreme valgus force at the knee?
a) LCL
b) MCL
c) Anterior cruciate ligament
d) posterior cruciate ligament
e) coronary ligaments
b) MCL
Which bursal sac sits directly superficial to the patella?
a) suprapatellar
b) prepatellar
c) deep infrapatellar
d) superficial infrapatellar
b) prepatellar
What movement is produced to achieve terminal knee extension, assuming the tibia is not fixed (Non weight bearing)?
a) lateral rotation
b) medial rotation
c) gliding
d) extension
e) none of the above
a) lateral rotation?