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Arthritis of the
Knee Joint
| ANATOMY OF THE NORMAL
KNEE JOINT |
The knee is a "hinge type" joint
which is formed by two bones held together by flexible ligaments. The
bones are the femur (thigh
bone) and the tibia (shin bone). The knee cap (patella) also
forms part of the knee joint. It glides over the end of the femur as the
knee bends. The moving parts of a normal knee are covered with a layer
of articular cartilage which is a white smooth substance about 1/4
of an inch thick on the patella and 1/8 of an inch thick on the femur and
tibia. An x-ray of the knee normally shows space (the "joint space") between
the femur and the tibia as well as between the femur and the patella. This
is not empty space but represents the cartilage (which does not show up
on x-rays). The smooth, cartilage-covered surfaces of the knee move on
each other with very little friction in the normal joint. In the normal
knee the "joint space" is approximately 1/4 of an inch wide and fairly
even in outline.
An X-Ray and Illustration Showing a Normal Knee Joint
On to the Next Section of the Manual
Diseases of the Knee Joint
Arthritis
of the Hip Joint
copyright © 2005 Herbert D. Huddleston,
MD.
Arthritis of the Knee Joint copyright
© 2005 Herbert D. Huddleston, M.D.
Dr. H.D. Huddleston
The Hip and Knee Institute
5525 Etiwanda Ave., #324
Tarzana, CA 91356
Tel: 818.708.9090
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