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| Knee with patella & muscles shown | Knee with patella & muscles removed |
Femur: The femur is commonly referred to as the thigh bone, and is the longest bone in the body. At the knee joint, the femur has two rounded weight bearing surfaces which articulate with the tibia.
Tibia: The tibia is the lower leg bone, or shin bone, which articulates with the femur at the knee and the talus at the ankle.
Patella: The patella is commonly referred to as the knee cap. Its undersurface is covered with cartilage, which articulates with the femur. The patella is attached to the quadriceps tendon above and the patellar tendon below.
Cartilage: The joint surface of the knee joint is covered with hyaline cartilage. It is present wherever two bones meet and articulate.
Meniscus: There are two meniscus in each knee. They are crescent shaped and act as shock absorbers between the femur and the tibia.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (A.C.L.): The ACL is located in the center of the knee joint and is one of the knee's major supporting structures. Its primary function is to limit the femur's forward motion upon the tibia.