Knee anatomy, illustration. This is a view of the outside of the knee. The knee joint is formed by the articulation of the femur (thigh bone, top) with the tibia (shin bone, bottom left). The surfaces of the joints are covered by menisci, a form of hyaline cartilage, that act as shock absorbers for the knee protecting the bone surface from wear and tear. The patella (kneecap, brown) is at left. The patella tendon attaches the bottom of the patella to the tibia. The fibular collateral ligament (FCL) connects the femur and fibula (calf bone, bottom centre).