Reconstruction 101 Practice Test

Distal condyles are the two rounded articular surfaces at the far end of the femur that form the knee joint. On the distal end you have the medial and lateral condyles, which sit on the bottom of the femur and articulate with the tibial plateau. The term distal tells you they’re located toward the knee, not near the hip. These condyles, along with the patellar surface in front and the intercondylar area between them at the back, make up the knee region of the femur. So referring to the distal condyles means talking about that end of the femur—the knee end—rather than a single condyle or a posterior aspect.