The knee region Flashcards
Femur (anterior distal)
adductor tubercle at distal aspect of supracondylar ridge, medial and lateral condyles and epicondyles, lateral buttress wall, patellar surface
Distal femur (posterior view)
linea aspera, medial and lateral supracondylar rige, medial and lateral condyles and epicondyles, popliteal surface, adductor tubercle, intercondylar fossa
Proximal tibia- bony features
medial and lateral tibial condyles, tibial plateau, intercondylar eminence (medial and lateral tubercles)- associated with ACL, tibial tuberosity, anterior tibial crest
Proximal fibula- bony features
head and neck of fibula, apex of fibula, interosseous membrane
Proximal fibula- nerve
common fibular nerve/ common peroneal nerve- wrap around the neck of the fibula- this is sensitive to trauma
Patella bony features
sesamoid bones, within quadriceps tendon, patella tendon, triangular shaped, base superior, apex inferior, medial and lateral borders
knee joint classification
synovial joint, 3 articulations, protection of underlying tissue, modified bicondylar hinge joint- between femoral and tibial condyles, menisci attaching to tibial articular surfaces, 2 degrees of freedom
patellofemoral joint
synovial saddle joint, between patellar and femoral articular surfaces
femoral articular surfaces
convex antero posteriorly and medio-laterally, lateral condyle shorter and wider, medial condyle projects more distally, lateral condyle projects more anteriorly, covered in articular cartilage
tibial articular surfaces- shape
concave centrally, flatter peripherally covered with semilunar cartilage (menisci),
tibial articular surfaces- articular cartilage
medial side is C shaped (inner and thinner), lateral is an O shape (outer and stouter)
patella articular surfaces- posterior- articular facets
lateral and medial, odd- only comes into full articulation with the femoral surface on the distal femoral condyle on full flexion
what is the patella function
improves mechanical efficiency of the quadriceps muscle group by: increasing lever arm, increasing angular torque
What is the quadriceps angle (Q angle)
defined as angle between the quadriceps muscles (in particular RF), and the patellar tendon.
How is the Q angle measured
measured as angle between line from ASIS to centre patella and line from centre patella to tibial tuberosity
what does the Q angle represent
represents angle of quadriceps muscle force
What is the normal Q angle
in men- 13°, in women 18°, <13 or or >18° considered abnormal
what does a Q angle of over 18° mean
it may predispose to patellar lateralization- means patella is more lateral than it should be
what is the patellofemoral joint stability dependent on
patella position, lateral femoral buttress wall, ratio between VMO and VL- forms muscular tension, tightness of lateral retinaculum
what is VMO and VL
VMO- vastus medialis obliquus- stabilizes knee cap and keeps it in line with your bent knee
VL- vastus lateralis muscle
what is alta and baja patella position
alta- This is the condition where a person is born with a kneecap (patella) positioned higher in the front of the knee than the average
baja- is an abnormally low lying patella
what is the need for patella femoral joint stability
it is all designed to keep patella in the patella groove, if all of this goes wrong, then the patella can dislocate laterally
classification of the superior tibio- fibular joint
synovial plane joint