Where it is
Between the thigh and the lower thigh, at the front of the hindlimb, close to the bottom line of the abdomen.
- Layer
- Exterior and regions
- System
- Body regions
- Region
- Hindlimb
What it is and what it does
The dog's knee, called the stifle, is the joint between the thigh and the lower thigh: femur, tibia and patella. It sits higher than you would think, near the flank, and bends forward, like the human knee. Don't confuse it with the hock, the joint below it, which bends backward.
Some sources wrongly call it the "femorotibiotarsal" joint; correctly, the stifle is formed by the femorotibial and femoropatellar joints, without the tarsal bones.
Worth remembering
The patella (kneecap) is one of the bones that form the stifle.
Names
- Also called: knee, stifle joint.
- Latin term: genu.
- In Romanian: Genunchiul (grasetul) (Romanian page).
In the atlas lessons
Where is the knee? Stifle, hock, elbow, carpus (4 min):
The stifle (knee): femur, tibia and patella. It sits high up, near the flank, and bends forward.
Questions from the atlas
"Find it on the drawing" questions whose answer is this structure; in the atlas you will find them in the question bank and in the lessons.
- Show the stifle on the drawing. (level 1)