The Skeleton of the Posterior Limb. 



171 



c-ntr 



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



rtion is slightly differentiated into medial and lateral condyles 



•responding to those of the distal end of the femur. On the 



;icular surface the concave areas for the reception of the condyles 



the femur are separated from one 



other by a small intervening, 



rtly divided hillock, the inter- 



ndyloid eminence (eminentia 



:ercondyloidea) , and also poster- 



ly by a depression of the articular 



rder, the posterior intercondy- 



id fossa. A corresponding anterior 



bercondyloid fossa lies in front of 



i intercondyloid eminence, but is 



orly differentiated. 



The fibula (Fig. 71) is the smaller, 

 eral, bone of the leg, and in the 

 Dbit is so extensively fused with the 

 lia that scarcely more than a third 



it is distinguishable. The free 

 rtion forms a flattened bony splint, 

 s medial margin of which is firmly 

 ited with the tibia by the inter- 

 seous ligament of the leg. Its 

 oximal extremity is connected with 

 s lateral condyle of the tibia by an 

 mgated epiphysis, the latter, like 

 3se of the distal ends of the radius 

 d ulna, being distinguishable even 

 older animals. 



The combined distal extremities 

 the tibia and fibula bear a roughly 

 ;tangular articular surface for the 

 -sus. The tibial portion of this 

 rface presents two grooves, separ- 



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

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

 ;dialis). 



mm- 



FlG. 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. 



