 In human anatomy, the knee is the lower extremity joint
connecting the femur and the tibia. Since in humans the knee
supports nearly the entire weight of the body, it is vulnerable
both to acute injury and to the development of osteoarthritis.
Function Of The Knee
The knee functions as a living, self-maintaining, biologic
transmission, the purpose of which is to accept and transfer
biomechanical loads between the femur, tibia, patella, and
fibula. In this analogy the ligaments represent non-rigid
adaptable sensate linkages within the biologic transmission.
The articular cartilages act as bearing surfaces, and the
menisci as mobile bearings. The muscles function as living
cellular engines that in concentric contraction provide motive
forces across the joint, and in eccentric contraction act
as brakes and dampening systems, absorbing loads.
Knee Anatomy
The knee is a complex, compound, condyloid variety of a
synovial joint which hovers. It actually comprises two separate
joints.
The femoro-patellar joint consists of the patella,
or "kneecap",
a so-called sesamoid bone which sits within the tendon of
the anterior thigh muscle (m. quadriceps femoris), and the
patellar groove on the front of the femur through which it
slides.
The femoro-tibial joint links the femur, or thigh
bone, with the tibia, the main bone of the (lower) leg. The
joint is bathed in a viscous (synovial) fluid which is contained
inside the "synovial" membrane, or joint capsule.
The recess behind the knee is called the popliteal fossa.
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