The anterior compartment of the knee is the geometric space behind the kneecap, usually filled with the fat pad and functioning as a shock absorber.
Page updated March 2024 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor)
Boundary of the anterior compartment.
Why is the anterior compartment important?
It is only recently that surgeons have come to accept the full importance of the anterior compartment.
Instead of just an anatomical space-filler, the anterior compartment is now recognised as a shock-absorber, and source of joint nutrition and a source of cells that help to protect the joint. When damaged, the anterior compartment may give rise to anterior knee pain.
Structures of the anterior compartment
The anterior compartment contains the Hoffa fat pad, which fills the space and protects the cruciate ligaments, menisci and cartilage surfaces of the bones.
It also contains the ligamentum mucosum (also called the infrapatellar plica).
-