Mérida Velasco, Juan A.Sánchez Montesinos, IndalecioEspín Ferra, JoaquínMérida Velasco, José RamónRodríguez Vázquez, José FranciscoJiménez Collado, Juan2025-07-152025-07-151999-01-06Mérida-Velasco, J. A., Sánchez-Montesinos, I., Espín-Ferra, J., Mérida-Velasco, J. R., Rodríguez-Vázquez, J. F., & Jiménez-Collado, J. (1997). Development of the human knee joint ligaments. The Anatomical record, 248(2), 259–268. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-0185(199706)248:2<259::AID-AR13>3.0.CO;2-O0003-276X1097-018510.1002/(sici)1097-0185(199706)248:2<259::aid-ar13>3.3.co;2-vhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/122507Methods: We summarize our observations on the development of the knee joint ligaments in 50 serially sectioned human embryonic and fetal lower limbs (26 embryos and 24 fetuses). Results: The patellar ligament begins to form in O'Rahilly stage 20, with the muscle fibers of the quadriceps muscle being attached inferiorly to the tibial tuberosity. The cruciate ligaments (beginning with the posterior) arise from the articular interzone in O'Rahilly stage 21. Subsequently, with the organization of the Wrisberg's meniscofemoral ligament, in week 10 of development, the cruciate ligament system is completed. The lateral collateral ligament begins to form in O'Rahilly stage 23, and from its first appearance it is independent of the knee joint capsule. At this time, development of the tendon of the popliteus muscle begins. The medial collateral ligament begins to develop in week 9 of development as a condensation of the joint capsule. Two weeks later, the intra-articular pad of fat begins to form from mesenchymal tissue below the patella and between the cruciate and the patellar ligaments. With the organization of the suprapatellar bursa in week 14 of development, knee joint development is complete. Conclusions: The morphogenetic time table of the knee joint ligaments was established.engjournal articlehttps://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-0185(199706)248:2<259::AIDhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/(SICI)1097-0185(199706)248:2%3C259::AID-AR13%3E3.0.CO;2-Orestricted access611cruciate ligamentspatellar ligamentsmedical and lateral collateral ligamentsintra-articular pad of fatdevelopmenthumanAnatomía2410.06 Embriología Humana