The Joint Essay

1170 Words5 Pages
I. The Tibiofemoral Joint A. Also known as the Knee joint 1. The knee joint connects the femur, our thigh bone and longest bone in the body, to the tibia, the second longest bone. 2. Is the most complicated and largest joint in our body. 3. The most vulnerable because it bears enormous weight and pressure loads while providing flexible movement. 4. Two joints in the knee a. tibiofemoral joint, which joins the tibia to the femur b. the patellofemoral joint which joins the kneecap to the femur c. two joints work together to form a modified hinge joint that not allows the knee to bend and straighten, but also to rotate slightly and from side to side. B. Structure of the Knee 1. bones, ligaments, tendons, cartilages and a joint capsule, all of which are made of collagen. C. Bones of the Knee 1. give strength, stability and flexibility in the knee 2. Tibia a. commonly called the shin bone, runs from the knee to the ankle b. top of the tibia is made of two plateaus and a knuckle-like protuberance called the tibial tubercle c. Attached to the top of the tibia on each side of the tibial plateau are two crescent-shaped shock-absorbing cartilages called menisci which help stabilize the knee 3. Patella a. the kneecap is a flat, triangular bone; the patella moves when the leg moves b. relieve friction between the bones and muscles when the knee is bent or straightened and to protect the knee joint c. kneecap glides along the bottom front surface of the femur between two protuberances called femoral condyles. d. condyles form a groove called the patellofemoral groove 4. Femur a. commonly called the thigh bone; it’s the largest, longest and strongest bone in the body b. The round knobs at the end of the bone are called condyles 5. Fibula a. long, thin bone in the lower leg on the lateral side, and runs along side the tibia from the knee to the ankle

More about The Joint Essay

Open Document