Femorotibial joint

The femorotibial joint is one of the few articulations with menisci. The medial meniscus is semicircular. Its anterior end is attached to the anterior intercondylar area in front of the anterior cruciate ligament. The lateral meniscus is almost a complete ring. Its anterior end is attached in front of the intercondylar eminence of the tibia, blending partially with the anterior cruciate ligament. 

The accessory motions of the femorotibial joint consist of passive internal and external rotation, conjunct rotation, dorsal and ventral tibial slide, abduction, adduction, and long-axis traction. 

The femorotibial joint consists of two compartments medial and lateral. The medial compartment is composed of the larger medial condyle and the concave superior aspect of the medial tibial plateau and has a wider anteroposterior diameter compared with the lateral one. The lateral compartment is formed by the smaller lateral condyle and the flat or convex articular surface of the lateral tibial plateau. The medial compartment gives stability to... 

The main recesses of the femorotibial joint are the suprapatellar recess, which is also referred to as the subquadriceps recess, the lateral or parapatellar recesses, located medial and lateral to the patella, and the medial and lateral posterior femoral recesses, which are small recesses that have a close relationship with the internal aspect of the femoral condyles. The suprapatellar recess is the widest recess of the knee joint. It derives from the fusion of the subquadriceps bursa with the joint cavity, a process which occurs during intrauterine life. In normal states, this recess contains a small amount of fluid. 

The lateral aspect of the knee joint is examined by asking the patient to rotate the leg internally. From anterior to posterior, the structures to be evaluated are the distal aspect of the iliotibial band, the external femorotibial joint space with the lateral meniscus, the lateral collateral ligament, the popliteus tendon and the superior tibiofibular joint. 

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