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Topic

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Articular surface of medial femoral condyle

The articular surface of the medial femoral condyle forms the medial component of the distal femoral articular geometry and participates in the tibiofemoral joint. It is covered by hyaline cartilage and plays a crucial role in load transmission, joint congruity, and smooth knee motion.

It is an essential region evaluated in orthopedic practice, sports medicine, arthroscopy, and cross-sectional imaging of the knee.

Synonyms

  • Medial femoral condylar articular surface

  • Medial femoral trochlear surface (medial aspect)

Location

  • Situated on the distal end of the femur

  • Forms the medial articular component of the knee joint

  • Articulates with the medial tibial plateau

  • Extends anteriorly toward the patellofemoral joint surface

  • Continuous posteriorly with the intercondylar region

Anatomical components

  • Osseous base: Medial femoral condyle

  • Articular cartilage: Hyaline cartilage covering the bony surface

  • Surface contours:

    • Convex and elongated anteroposteriorly

    • Slightly narrower than the lateral condyle

  • Weight-bearing zone: Central portion during stance phase

Relations

Inferiorly:

  • Medial tibial plateau

Laterally:

  • Intercondylar fossa

Anteriorly:

  • Patellar articular surface (trochlea)

Posteriorly:

  • Posterior femoral condyle and capsule

Medially:

  • Medial joint capsule and medial collateral ligament (MCL)

X-ray appearance

Plain radiographs (AP, lateral, and Rosenberg views):

  • Articular surface: Smooth, curvilinear outline of the medial femoral condyle

  • Joint space: Represents cartilage thickness indirectly

  • Medial compartment: Appears slightly narrower than lateral in physiologic stance

  • Subchondral bone: Dense radiopaque line beneath articular cartilage

CT appearance (Pre-contrast)

Non-contrast CT:

  • Osseous contour: Smooth, convex medial femoral condyle

  • Subchondral bone: Clearly visualized cortical and trabecular pattern

  • Articular surface: Seen as the bony margin beneath cartilage

  • Joint congruity: Evaluated by alignment with medial tibial plateau

  • Cartilage: Not directly visualized, inferred by joint space

MRI appearance

T1-weighted images:

  • Subchondral marrow: High signal intensity

  • Cortical bone: Low signal

  • Articular cartilage: Intermediate signal, smooth and uniform

  • Interface: Well-defined boundary between cartilage and bone

T2-weighted images:

  • Articular cartilage: Intermediate-to-slightly high signal

  • Joint fluid: High signal outlining the cartilage surface

  • Subchondral bone: Low signal margin

STIR:

  • Bone marrow: Fat-suppressed uniform signal

  • Articular cartilage: Intermediate signal against suppressed marrow

  • Joint fluid: Bright signal, enhancing cartilage delineation

Proton density fat-saturated (PD FS):

  • Articular cartilage: Well-defined, intermediate signal thickness

  • Joint fluid: Bright signal

  • Subchondral bone: Suppressed fat signal

CT VRT 3D image

Articular surface of medial femoral condyle 3d

CT image

Articular surface of medial femoral condyle ct anatomy labelled image-img-00000-00000

MRI image

Articular surface of medial femoral condyle ct anatomy labelled image-img-00000-00000_00001