The knee joint of the dog is frequently the subject of surgery if the cruci
ate ligaments or the menisci are injured. In the knee joint of the dog we f
ind a ligament, which is spread out between the anterior part of the fossa
intercondylaris ossis femoris and the corpus adiposus infrapatellaris. This
ligamentum synoviale infrapatellare has not previously been described and
represents a homologous structure to the plica synovialis infrapatellaris o
f human knee joint. Just like the latter and just like the cruciate ligamen
ts it is a rudiment of a septum articulare genu, which is spread out betwee
n an articulatio femorotibialis and an articulatio femorofibularis in the e
arly phylogenesis of tetrapods. The ligamentum synoviale infrapatellare of
the dog consists of a stratum synoviale and a stratum spinosum, which inclu
des blood vessels, nerves, many collagenous fibres and some elastic fibres.
We do not find evidence for sensory nerve endings or corpuscular receptors
. Therefore a severing of the ligament during knee joint surgery does not a
ffect the proprioceptive potential of the knee joint.