Page 85 - Adams and Stashak's Lameness in Horses, 7th Edition

Functional Anatomy of the Equine Musculoskeletal System 51

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Caudal femoral a. & v. Lateral head of gastrocnemius m. (cut)

Adductor m.

Superficial digital
flexor m. (cut)

Lateral femoral condyle

Medial head of Popliteus m.
gastrocnemius m. (cut)
Meniscofemoral ligament
Medial meniscus Lateral meniscus

Caudal cruciate ligament
Deep digital flexor m. (cut)

Popliteal a.& v.

Fibula
Cranial tibial a.& v.

Interosseous ligament
Caudal tibial a.& v.

Figure 1.46. Deep dissection of caudal aspect of right stifle. The joint capsule of the femorotibial joint has been opened.
A voluminous joint capsule attaches to the edges of the synovial sacs. These two sacs rarely communicate with
femoral trochlea, and its patellar attachment lies close to one another, although the medial sac communicates
the edge of the patellar articular surface. A large pouch with the femoropatellar joint sac in a majority (65%) of
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from the joint capsule protrudes proximad under a fat horses. Two fibrocartilaginous menisci intervene
pad and the distal part of the quadriceps femoris muscle. between the femoral and tibial articular surfaces. An
The vastus intermedius of the quadriceps femoris attaches, extension of the lateral synovial sac encloses the tendon
in part, to the femoropatellar joint capsule, acting to tense of origin of the popliteus muscle, and another protrudes
the capsule during extension of the femoropatellar joint. distad under the common tendon of origin of the long
digital extensor and fibularis tertius muscles.
The two fibrocartilaginous menisci are crescent
Femorotibial Joint
shaped, thicker peripherally and thinner along the con­
The fibrous part of the joint capsule is thick caudally, cave edge. Their proximal surfaces are concave to accom­
thin cranially. The cruciate ligaments of the femorotibial modate the convex femoral condyles. Distally they
joint lie between the joint capsule’s medial and lateral conform to the articular surfaces of the tibial condyles.