Anatomical and topographic features of the quadriceps femoris muscle in the Amur tiger

The article presents the specific features of the anatomical design of the quad- riceps femoral muscle in the Amur tiger. The aim of the study is to establish anatomical and topographic features and skeletotopic landmarks of the quadriceps femoral muscle in the Amur tiger, as well as to assess the functional significance of the studied structures. It was found that its straight head in its distal part has a muscle-tendon method of attachment to the kneecap. It is shown that the terminal tendons of the lateral and medial heads of the quadriceps femoris fuse with the plate-shaped tendons of the lateral and medial parts of its intermediate head. A more extensive area of fixation is characterized, in comparison with other heads, by the lateral head extending to the top of the cranial tubercle of the kneecap. The intermediate head with its distal end, together with the joint capsule, is fixed in the area of the articular surface of the kneecap. The study was performed at the Department of Anatomy and Histology of Animals named after Professor A.F. Klimova, Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology – MBA named after K.I. Scriabin. The object of study was the Amur tiger. The material for the study was pelvic limbs, without external signs of pathologies. We used methods of conventional and fine anatomical dissec- tion of muscles under the control of a binocular magnifier “Micromed HR 350 S”, as well as biomechanical modeling of a static-locomotor act. Based on the conducted studies, we have identified additional collateral lateral and medial menisco-femoral ligaments in the tiger, which stabilize the menisci and strengthen the knee joint. The revealed features of the mac- roarchitecture of the kneecap in a tiger can provide optimal conditions for the functioning of the quadriceps femoral muscle and biomechanical perfection of the knee joint