The Skeleton of the Posterior Limb. 



171 



C-rn 



the knee by the patella and the patellar ligament. The articular 

 portion is slightly differentiated into medial and lateral condyles 

 corresponding to those of the distal end of the femur. On the 

 articular surface the concave areas for the reception of the condyles 

 of the femur are separated from one 

 another by a small intervening, 

 partly divided hillock, the inter- 

 condyloid eminence (eminentia 

 intercondyloidea), and also poster- 

 iorly by a depression ot the articular 

 border, the posterior intercondy- 

 loid fossa. A corresponding anterior 

 intercondyloid fossa lies in front of 

 the intercondyloid eminence, but is 

 poorly differentiated. 



The fibula (Fig. 71) is the smaller, 

 lateral bone of the leg, and in the 

 rabbit is so extensively fused with the 

 tibia that scarcely more than a third 

 of it is distinguishable. The free 

 portion forms a flattened, bony splint, 

 the medial margin of which is firmly 

 united with the tibia by the inter- 

 osseous ligament of the leg. Its 

 proximal extremity is connected with 

 the lateral condyle of the tibia by an 

 elongated epiphysis, the latter, like 

 those of the distal ends of the radius 

 and ulna, being distinguishable even 

 in older animals. 



The combined distal extremities 

 of the tibia and fibula bear a roughly 

 rectangular articular surface for the 

 tarsus. The tibial portion of this 

 surface presents two grooves, separ- 

 ated by a ridge, for articulation with the trochlea tali. On its 

 medial side is a small projection, the medial malleolus (malleolus 

 medialis). 



mm- 



— m- 



Fig. 71. Anterior surface of the 

 left tibia (T) and fibula (F) : 

 c.l. and cm., lateral and medial 

 condyles: f.a.s., proximal articular 

 surface for the femur; m.l. and 

 m.m., lateral and medial malleoli; 

 t.t., tuberosity of tibia. 



