THE KNEE-JOINT 309 



their origin, and the anastomoses which are formed between them are 

 unimportant and inconstant. They are sometimes supplemented by 

 another artery, the posterior recurrent tibial. This small vessel is a branch 

 which rises from the anterior tibial before it leaves the back of the leg. 

 It ascends anterior to the popliteus muscle, ramifies over the distal part of 

 the oblique popliteal ligament, and inosculates with the two inferior 

 genicular branches of the popliteal. 



The median genicular artery is chiefly destined for the supply of the 

 interior of the joint. It pierces the oblique popiteal ligament, passes 

 forwards between the crucial ligaments, and ramifies in the fatty tissue 

 in that situation. Its terminal twigs usually anastomose with the middle 

 arch in front of the knee-joint. It will be dissected at a later stage in the 

 interior of the joint. 



Articular Nerves of the Knee- Joint. The knee-joint is 

 richly supplied with nerves. No less than ten distinct 

 branches may be traced to it. The femoral nerve, the 

 common peroneal, and the tibial nerve trunks contribute 

 three twigs apiece to this articulation, and the obturator 

 furnishes a filament to its posterior aspect. The femoral 

 nerve supplies the joint through branches which proceed 

 from the nerves to the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and 

 m. articularis genu. These nerves pierce the fibres of the 

 quadriceps muscle, and are distributed to the proximal and 

 anterior part of the articulation. The articular branch from 

 the nerve to the vastus medialis is of larger size than the other 

 two, and it accompanies the articular branch of the arteria 

 genu suprema. The common peroneal nerve gives off (i) the 

 superior and inferior lateral genicular nerves : these accompany 

 the arteries of the same name, and end in fine filaments, 

 which pierce the capsule of the joint; and (2) the recurrent 

 articular nerve which accompanies the anterior recurrent 

 tibial artery. This nerve ends chiefly in the tibialis anterior 

 muscle; but a fine twig may reach the distal part of the 

 anterior aspect of the knee-joint. The tibial nerve furnishes the 

 knee-joint with superior and inferior medial genicular branches 

 and a median genicular nerve, which accompany the arteries 

 of the same names. The branch from the obturator nerve 

 descends on the posterior aspect of the popliteal artery 

 as far as the back of the knee-joint. At this point it leaves 

 the artery and, inclining forwards, breaks up into several 

 filaments which pierce the oblique popliteal ligament 

 separately. 



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