Articular capsule of the knee joint are remnants of three embryonic septal divisions of the knee space called synovial plicae: Articular capsule of the knee joint The articular capsule of the knee joint (commonly referred to as capsular ligament) is wide and lax; thin in front and at the side; and contains the patella ("knee cap"), ligaments, menisci, and bursae. The capsule consists of a synovial and a fibrous membrane separated by fatty deposits anteriorly and posteriorly. Anteriorly, the reflection of the synovial membrane lies on the femur; located at some distance from the cartilage because of the presence of the suprapatellar bursa. Above, the reflection
Stifle joint the joint into two functional units—the 'femoromeniscal joint' for flexion/extension movements and the 'meniscotibial joint' for rotation—a function analogous to that of the disc dividing the temporomandibular (jaw) joint. The menisci also contain nerve endings which are used to assist in proprioreception. The menisci are attached via a variety of ligaments: two meniscotibial ligaments for each meniscus, the meniscofemoral from the lateral meniscus to the femur, the meniscocollateral from the medial meniscus to the medial collateral ligament, and the transverse ligament (or intermeniscal) which runs between the two menisci. There are between one and four sesamoid bones associated with the