Anterior approach - aspiration or injection of the knee joint

Anterior 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 is sat on a couch with their lower leg hanging down
  
  
• the tibial plateau and patella tendon should be identified
  
  
• the needle can be inserted either laterally or medially to the patella tendon about a finger-tips breadth above the tibial plateau
  
  
• the needle is directed postero-medially when injecting laterally to the tendon or postero-laterally if injecting from a medial approach

Anterior approach to injection of knee joint - showing both medial and lateral approaches:

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Anterior approach to knee joint injection - medial to patellar tendon

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Anterior approach to knee injection - showing needle tip position

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Anterior injection of the Knee Joint. View with medial femoral condyle removed:

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Key to acronyms:

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Reference:

• Primary Care Rheumatology Society (PCRS). Joint and soft tissue Injection guidelines PCRS (Updated 2017)