148 ARTHROLOGY, OR ANATOMY OF ARTICULATIONS 



front of the spine of the tibia and the external semilunar car- 

 tilage, and passes obliquely upward, backward, and outward to 

 be inserted into the inner and back part of the intercondyle of 

 the femur. 



The posterior or internal is attached to the depression behind 

 the spine of the tibia, to the popliteal notch, and to the external 

 semilunar cartilage; passing upward, forward, and inward it is 

 inserted into the outer and forepart of the internal condyle 

 of the femur. It is in relation with the anterior ligament in 

 front; the capsule, behind. These two ligaments cross each 

 other to resemble the letter X. 



The semilunar fibrocartilages are two in number internal 

 and external. They are lamellae which serve to deepen the 

 articular surfaces of the head of the tibia for the condyles of 

 the femur. They rest on the head of the tibia; their upper 

 concave surfaces are in relation w r ith the condyles, except 

 at the inner third, where they blend with the crucial ligaments; 

 their outer surfaces are convex, and attached to the inner 

 surface of the capsular ligament. 



The internal semilunar fibrocartilage is nearly a semicircle, 

 is broader behind than in front; its anterior, thin extremity 

 is attached to the depression on the anterior margin of the 

 tibia, in front of the anterior crucial ligaments; its posterior 

 extremity is attached to the depression behind the spine of 

 the tibia and the posterior crucial ligament. The external 

 semilunar fibrocartilage forms nearly an entire circle. The 

 anterior extremity is attached in front of the spine of the 

 tibia and behind and external to the anterior crucial ligament, 

 with which it blends ; the posterior extremity is attached behind 

 the spine of the tibia, anterior to the posterior extremity of 

 the internal cartilage. This cartilage gives off a strong fas- 

 ciculus, the ligament of Wrisberg, which passes upward and 

 outward to the inner condyle of the femur. 



The transverse ligament passes between the anterior margins 

 of the internal and external cartilages; sometimes it is absent. 



The coronary ligaments connect the cartilages with the 

 margins of the head of the tibia. They are essentially por- 

 tions of the capsular ligament. 



