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Lateral condyle of femur

The lateral condyle of the femur is the rounded bony prominence on the distal, lateral end of the femur. It is larger and more prominent than the medial condyle, projecting further anteriorly. It forms the lateral articular surface of the knee joint and plays a key role in weight transmission, articulation, and ligament attachment. It also provides anchorage for key muscles and ligaments, making it clinically important in sports injuries, fractures, and degenerative knee disorders.

Synonyms

  • External femoral condyle

  • Lateral distal femoral condyle

  • Outer condyle of femur

Muscular Attachments

  • Lateral head of gastrocnemius: arises from the posterior aspect of the lateral condyle

  • Popliteus muscle: arises from a depression at the anterior end of the condyle (popliteal groove)

  • Plantaris muscle (variable): may attach superior to the lateral condyle

  • Additional attachment sites for joint capsule and lateral collateral ligament

Relations

  • Anteriorly: Patella and quadriceps tendon (via patellofemoral articulation)

  • Posteriorly: Popliteal artery, vein, and tibial nerve within the popliteal fossa

  • Medially: Intercondylar notch separating it from the medial condyle

  • Laterally: Lateral collateral ligament and iliotibial band

  • Inferiorly: Lateral tibial plateau of tibia, forming part of the knee joint articulation

Function

  • Provides articular surface for knee joint movement with tibia and patella

  • Transmits body weight from femur to tibia during locomotion

  • Serves as an attachment point for key muscles and ligaments stabilizing the knee

  • Contributes to the biomechanics of flexion, extension, and rotation of the knee

Clinical Significance

  • Common site of osteochondral injuries, fractures, and bone bruises after knee trauma

  • Involved in osteochondritis dissecans and degenerative osteoarthritis

  • Serves as an anatomical landmark in knee replacement surgery and arthroscopy

  • Can be injured in ligamentous injuries (especially lateral collateral ligament and anterior cruciate ligament involvement)

MRI Appearance

T1-weighted images:

  • Cortical bone: very low (dark) signal

  • Marrow: intermediate to bright signal intensity depending on fatty content

T2-weighted images:

  • Cortical bone: low signal

  • Marrow: intermediate to bright signal intensity

  • Cartilage: appears bright relative to bone

Proton Density (PD):

  • Marrow appears intermediate to bright

  • Good delineation of adjacent ligaments and meniscal attachments

Proton Density Fat-Saturated (PD FS):

  • Normal marrow shows low signal

  • Pathology such as edema, fracture, or bone bruise appears bright

STIR (Short Tau Inversion Recovery):

  • Cortical bone: dark

  • Marrow: normally suppressed low-to-intermediate, but edema appears bright hyperintense

T1 Fat-Sat Post-Contrast:

  • Cortical bone: no enhancement

  • Marrow: normally mild homogeneous enhancement

  • Pathology (tumors, infection, inflammation): heterogeneous or nodular enhancement

  • Bone infarct/abscess: rim enhancement with central non-enhancing core

CT Appearance

Non-Contrast CT:

  • Cortical bone: hyperdense, sharply defined

  • Cancellous marrow: intermediate density relative to soft tissues

  • Excellent for evaluating fractures, osteochondral defects, or subchondral sclerosis

Post-Contrast CT:

  • Bone itself does not enhance

  • Surrounding marrow lesions, tumors, or infection show heterogeneous or rim enhancement

  • Useful for detecting cortical breach, lytic/sclerotic lesions, or osteomyelitis changes

CT VRT 3D image

Lateral condyle of femur 3d image

MRI image

lateral condyle of the femur anatomy 3t mri image

MRI image

lateral condyle of the femur anatomy

CT image

Lateral condyle of femur MRI axial image