84 



ELEMENTS OF MAMMALIAN ANATOMY 



leg should be detached at the hip-joint and the muscles largely 

 removed, taking care in the immediate neighborhood of 

 the knee that the ligaments are not cut. There are eight 

 ligaments to this joint. These may be classified into those 



connected with the patella: the 

 capsular ligaments; the collat- 

 eral ligaments; the crucial liga- 

 ments; and the meniscal 

 ligaments (Fig. 46). 



(i) The Ugamentum patcllce, 

 or anterior ligament, extending 

 from the patella to the anterior 

 tubercle on the tibia, is the 

 strongest ligament of the knee- 

 joint, and is really a continuation 

 of the tendon of the quadri- 

 ceps femoris muscle. (2) The 

 capsular ligament, which entirely 

 surrounds the joint except in 



psular ligament cut and reflected ^ , oCCUpicd by the an- 



mediad; bi, tendon of the popliteus '-^^'^ t' . 



muscle pulled proximad to display tcrior and lateral ligaments, con- 



sc; en, caudal projection of condyle . , r . , • / j 



of tibia; ex, antero-external liga- SlStS of tWO partS, a mn/Za/ and 



ment of the meniscus; ex, external ^ caildal pOrtioil. The former 



lateral ligament; fb, fibula; fm, ^ • i r i 



femur; ig, ligament of the quadri- is seen on either Side 01 the an- 



ceps femoris muscle; pt, patella; , • liVqmpnt pxtendiuff from 

 se. external or lateral meniscus; sem, terior Ugamcni, exienuillg iruni 



medial or internal meniscus, //, |-}^g femUr tO the tibia aS a thick 



tibio-fibular ligament; tb, tibia. 1,11 



membrane, and more laterally 

 being attached to the menisci. The caudal part extends from 

 the fabellie and the femur to the tibia and menisci. (3) The 

 collateral ligaments pass directly from the epicondyles of the 

 femur to the tibia or fibula, (a) The Ugamentum collateralc 

 Jibulare or external lateral ligafnent proceeds from the external 

 tuberosity of the femur to the head of the fibula, (b) The 

 Ugamentum collaterale tihiale or internal lateral ligament, much 

 shorter than the external one, extends from the internal tuber- 



FiG. 46. — Lateral Aspect of Dis- 

 sected Knee-joint. 

 ad. Adipose tissue; ax, antero-in- 

 ternal ligament of the meniscus; ep, 

 capsular ligament cut and reflected 



