Anatomy of human knee

The knee joint is a complex joint that connects the thigh bone (femur) and the shin bone (tibia). In front – in the middle of the joint – is the kneecap (patella), which serves as protection of the joint and transmission of forces. The knee joint contains ligaments that stabilize the bones, including the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), as well as collateral ligaments (MCL and LCL) that provide lateral stability. Inside the knee joint are the menisci, cartilaginous structures that improve the joint surfaces and act as shock absorbers. The muscles around the knee, including the thigh and calf muscles, play an important role in moving and stabilizing the joint. A joint capsule surrounds the knee and contains synovial fluid that lubricates and nourishes the joint. This interplay of bones, ligaments, cartilage, muscles and other structures enables complex movements of the knee joint.

For a 3D animation we created a 3D model of a human knee with the important anatomical structures. Within the 3D animation the anatomical structure of the knee and the interaction of the different structures (bones, ligaments, muscles) is theamtized and the supply of blood vessels is shown.