Stifle joint

The cranial cruciate also resists over-extension and inward rotation, and is the most commonly damaged stifle ligament in dogs.

"Cushioning" of the joint is provided by two C-shaped pieces of cartilage called menisci which sit between the medial and lateral condyles of the distal femur and the tibial plateau.

It guides the patellar ligament of the quadriceps over the knee joint to its point of insertion on the tibia.

Caudal to the joint, in the dog for example, are the two fabellae, which lie in the two tendons of origin of gastrocnemius.

Fourth, there is often a small sesamoid bone in the tendon of origin of popliteus in many species.