74 ELEMENTS OF MAMMALIAN ANATOMY. 
As the knee-joint can be readily dissected and the parts 
well displayed, it is here described somewhat in detail. 
The 
leg should be detached at the hip-joint and the muscles 
largely removed, taking care in the immediate neighbor- 
hood of the knee that the ligaments are not cut. 
Fic. 45. Laterat Aspect oF Dis- 
SECTED KNEE-JOINT. 
ad, Adipose tissue; ax, antero-in- 
ternal ligament of the meniscus; 
cp, capsular ligament cut and re- 
flected mediad; bi, tendon of 
the popliteus muscle pulled 
proximad to display sc; cn, 
caudal projection of condyle of 
tibia; cx, antero-external liga- 
ment of the meniscus; ex, ex- 
ternal lateral ligament; fb, 
fibula; fm, femur; /g, ligament 
of the quadriceps extensor 
muscle; pt, patella; sc, external 
or lateral meniscus; scm, medial 
or internal meniscus; tf, tibio- 
fibular ligament; tb, tibia. 
There are 
eight ligaments to this joint. 
The anterior lgament or 
ligament of the patella 
(Fig. 45), 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 quadriceps extensor 
muscle. The capsular liga- 
ment, which entirely sur- 
rounds the joint except in 
the places occupied by the 
and lateral 
ments, consists of two parts, 
a cranial and a caudal por- 
tion. The former is seen 
on either side of the anterior 
ligament, extending from 
the femur to the tibia as a 
thick membrane, and more 
laterally being attached to 
the menisci. The caudal part 
extends the fabellze 
anterior liga- 
from 
and the femur to the tibia and menisci. 
The external lateral ligament proceeds from the external 
tuberosity of the femur to the head of the fibula. 
The 
internal lateral ligament, much shorter than the external 
