Anatomy/Biomechanics

The knee is the largest synovial joint in the body. It is composed of 3 bones and 3 joints although 2 of the 3 joints share a common cavity.

The bones of the knee comprise the femur (thigh bone), tibia (shin bone), patella (kneecap), and to a lesser degree the fibula.  The knee joint itself is made up of the tibio-femoral joint, which itself is comprised of a medial compartment and a lateral compartment. The true knee joint also includes the patello-femoral joint.  Another important component of the knee joint complex, although not part of the true knee joint, is the superior tibio-fibula joint.