234 MECHANISM OF THE KNEE-JOINT. 



the harmonised attachments of the related muscles. It is 

 therefore somewhat remarkable that Henle, in his recent 

 work, should have referred to Meyer's researches only to deny 

 the specific character of the obliquely-curved portion of the 

 inner condyle. 



I may here be permitted to state that, having been in the 

 habit, since I became a public teacher of anatomy, of explain- 

 ing the researches of the brothers Weber on the knee-joint, I 

 lost no time, after the appearance of Meyer's paper, in re- 

 examining the subject. An abstract of Meyer's observations, 

 with additional observations made by myself, were published 

 in a lecture in summer 1855, an abstract of which appeared 

 at the time.* I have since annually gone over the subject in 

 the University, and as the results in question bear essentially 

 on the more immediate subject of this communication, I shall 

 briefly enumerate them. 



I obtained, then, satisfactory evidence that, as stated by 

 Meyer, the thigh and leg rotate in opposite directions at the 

 close of extension and at the commencement of flexion, and 

 that the co-ordinated arrangements for these movements, in 

 the patella, the ligaments, and muscles, are such as described 

 by him. But, in addition, I found that the cartilaginous sur- 

 faces of the patella, femur, and tibia, respectively, are not 

 continuous but facetted surfaces. 



The patellar surface presents seven facets, which are in 

 no position of the joint, at the same time, all in contact 

 with the opposite femoral surface, nor can be made to fit it 

 throughout in any position of the opposite bones ; but come 

 into contact with that surface in a determined order of succes- 

 sion, which is invariable. The patellar surface of the femur, 

 as has been more particularly pointed out by Meyer, is sepa- 

 rated from the two condyloid surfaces by grooves ; but in 

 addition, I found that there are distinct marginal facets on the 



* Edinburgh Medical Journal, July 1855 ; also No. IX. of this volume. 



