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Dog Stifle Joint (Knee)

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The stifle actually consists of 3 joints, namely:

1) Femoro-patellar joint - Joins the femoral trochlea to the patella.

2) Femoro-tibial joint - Joins the condyles of the femur with the flattened condyles of the tibia (freely connected to the femoro-patella - joint.

3) Proximal tibiofibular - Articulation between the tibia and fibular.

There are two groups of muscles in the dog stifle: those that extend the joint and those that flex it. Below is a list of these muscles and the nerves responsible for their stimulation Muscles extending: Quadriceps femoris - femoral nerve. Tensor fasciae latae - cranial gluteal nerve. Biceps femoris - caudal gluteal, tibial nerves. Semitendinosus - tibial nerve. Semimembranosus - tibial nerve. Muscles flexing: Gracilis - obturator nerve. Gastrocnemius - tibial nerve. Superficial digital flexor - tibial nerve.

Popliteus - tibial nerve.

The stifle joint is very strong due to the character and number of ligaments present. The Medial and Lateral Collateral Ligaments Medial collateral - runs from the medial femur to tibia. Lateral collateral - runs from lateral femur to head of fibula, passing over the tendon of origin of the popliteus muscle. Both ligaments attach to the femur behind the axis of rotation of the femoral condyles therefore are tensed by extension of the joint. They are important in preserving lateral and medial stability. The Meniscal ligament Attach cranial and caudal horns of menisci to femur and tibia. Also present (only in the dog and ox) is a transverse (intermeniscal) ligament uniting the two cranial tibial ligaments. The Cruciate ligaments These are intracapsular ligaments. They extend between articular surfaces of femur and tibia and wind round each other in a spiral fashion. Named according to attachment to tibia:- cranial cruciate caudal cruciate Important in limiting movement in cranial and caudal directions and also maintaining rotational stability. Medial and Lateral Femoropatellar ligamments Extend from femoral epicondyles (and the fabellae (sesamoid bone) in the dog) to the medial and lateral borders of the patella. Fused with the fibrous layer of the joint capsule. Help hold the patella in the trochlea of the femur. Patellar ligament Actually the tendon of insertion of the quadriceps femoris muscle. Inserts on the tibial tuberosity. There is only one patellar ligament present in the dog. Problems associated with the ligaments of the stifle joint

n dogs poor development of the femoropatellar ligaments is often seen leading to patella dislocation. This results in loss of the pivoting action of the patella in the troclea.

Canine Stifle Joint