Ligamentous Support
The responsibility of this ligament is to protect the knee against valgus forces and provide a secondary restraint against external rotation of the tibia and anterior translation of the tibia on the femur when the ACL is torn.
What is the medial collateral ligament (MCL)?
This landmark arises off of the superior crest of the medial epicondyle and is an insertion point for the adductor magnus muscle.
What is the adductor tubercle?
The primary neurological structures that provide innervation to the knee and lower extremity pass through this structure.
What is the popliteal fossa?
This type of tree can be found in Dr. A’s backyard.
What is a pear tree?
These joints make up the knee complex.
What are the tibiofemoral, proximal tibiofibular, and patellofemoral joints?
This ligament attaches to its corresponding meniscus, making the meniscus more susceptible to injury.
What is the medial collateral ligament (MCL)?
This structure is the largest sesamoid bone in the human body during adulthood and assists in improving the mechanical function of the quadriceps during extension of the knee.
What is the patella?
This structure separates the popliteal artery and vein from the posterior capsule.
What is adipose tissue?
What is the tibial tuberosity via the patella and patellar ligament?
The tibiofemoral joint is capable of performing these movements.
What is flexion/extension, internal/external rotation, and abduction/adduction?
The cruciate ligaments are named based off of their attachments on this structure.
What is the tibia?
This structure, when present, lies within the lateral head of the gastrocnemius.
What is the fabella?
This is Dr. A’s favorite chocolate candy bar.
What is a three musketeers?
This hamstring muscle helps protect the knee against varus stresses.
What is the biceps femoris?
These are some of the purposes that the menisci serve within the knee joint.
What is increasing load transmission, improving lubrication, providing shock absorption, increasing passive joint stability, limiting extremes in sagittal plane movements, and serving as proprioceptive organs?
These ligaments form the posteromedial corner of the knee.
What are the MCL, posterior oblique, and the posterior popliteal ligaments?
This structure is 50% larger than its lateral structure to accommodate the flare of its corresponding condyle.
What is the medial tibial plateau?
These nerves innervate the medial and lateral compartments of the knee.
What are the saphenous and sural cutaneous (via the common peroneal nerve) nerve?
These 5 muscles are responsible for internal rotation of the knee.
What are the sartorius, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, popliteus, and gracilis muscles?
This mechanism describes the “locking” at the knee and occurs at around 20 degrees of flexion and 0 degrees of extension.
What is the screw-home mechanism?
This ligament is the primary restraint against varus forces when the knee is in range between full extension and 30 degrees of flexion and external rotation of the tibia.
What is the lateral collateral ligament (LCL)?
The patella glides in this depression as the knee flexes and extends.
What is the femoral trochlea?
These structures are tributaries of the popliteal artery and provide collateral circulation to the knee, including the ACL, PCL, and menisci.
What are the five geniculate arteries?
(NOTE: Two superior, two inferior and one middle)
This muscle group is responsible for internally rotating the tibia when the foot is not planted on the ground and externally rotating the femur when the foot is planted.
What is the pes anserine muscle group?
During knee extension, these ligaments pull the lateral meniscus anteriorly, which distorts its shape.
What are the patellomeniscal ligaments?