Musculoskeletal / VISUAL EXPLAINER
Are Knee Menisci the Same as Surface Cartilage?
The knee’s medial and lateral menisci are pads between the femur and tibia that help cushion and stabilize the joint. They are distinct from articular cartilage, which coats the bones’ joint surfaces.
READ THE IMAGE
What the illustration shows
English anatomy poster titled “Are Knee Menisci the Same as Surface Cartilage?” on a dark navy background. An opened anterior-oblique knee view shows an ivory femur lifted above the tibia. Pale blue articular cartilage covers opposing bone surfaces. Two peach crescent-shaped menisci sit on the tibial plateau: lateral on the viewer’s left beside the fibula, medial on the right. Labels identify femur, tibia, fibula, articular cartilage and both menisci. A lower top-view inset repeats the paired crescents with lateral and medial orientation. A cutaway shows a triangular meniscal wedge between separate blue surface-cartilage layers. Text says menisci cushion and stabilize and articular cartilage coats bone surfaces. Gold AllHumanBody.com branding and the full slogan sit on a plain navy footer.
How to interpret this poster
- Opened reconstruction with stylized meniscal shape and wedge thickness, not patient imaging, a complete ligament map or evidence of injury or healing.
- AI-assisted educational illustration; not physician certification, microscopy, a diagnosis or individualized medical advice.
- Fine annotations need enlargement; the full description provides an accessible text alternative.
- Display the full uncropped illustration; do not trim titles, legends or boundary annotations.
AI-assisted educational illustration, adapted into web-sized images without changing its composition. This is general education, not an individual diagnosis or treatment recommendation.
EVIDENCE / CONTEXT
Sources and what they support
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons ↗
Separate surface cartilage and wedge menisci.
- Yale Medicine academic medical center ↗
Two menisci, location and distinction from articular cartilage.