This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Medial approach - aspiration or injection of the knee joint

Authoring team

Medial approach to injection of the knee joint

Based on contributions from Dr Elspeth Wise and Dr Alan Walker on behalf of the Primary Care Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Medicine Society

  • the patient should be resting on a couch with their knee extended

  • the space between the patella and the femoro-tibial articulation should be palpated

  • the needle is inserted at the mid point of the medial border of the patella and is directed laterally and slightly posteriorly

  • it may be helpful to apply pressure to the lateral aspect of the patella whilst injecting so as to tilt the patella laterally and open up the medial space

Medial approach to injection of the knee joint - surface anatomy

 

Pencil drawing of a syringe injecting a substance into a stylized hill, with initials AW on the corner.

Medial approach to injection of the knee joint - through vastus medialis (VM) labelled

 

Detailed anatomical sketch showing a syringe injecting into muscle layers, with labeled parts including the vastus medialis and other muscle groups.

 

Medial approach to injection of the knee joint - with vastus medialis removed for explanatory purposes to show injection point

 

Detailed medical illustration showing the procedure of an injection into the subacromial space of the shoulder with labeled anatomical structures

 




Key to acronyms:

 

Anatomical diagram listing various knee and leg components with abbreviations, including Biceps Femoris, Patellar Tendon, Tibialis Anterior, and other related structures.

Reference:

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2025 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.