Damaged knee. Artwork of the bones and ligaments of a damaged human knee. The knee joint is where the upper leg bone (femur,top) articulates with the tibia (shin bone,bottom). At right is the smaller of the lower leg bones,the fibula. The patella (knee cap,centre) covers and protects the joint,and ligaments connect the bones. Here,the edges of the bones are rough and jagged due to wear and tear,and the patella is greatly eroded. The ligaments are loose instead of being taut,and the internal cartilage has worn away,reducing the gap between the bones. This damage is typical of conditions such as osteoarthritis |