The
stifle joint (often simply
stifle) is a complex joint in the
hind limbs of
quadruped mammals such as the
sheep,
horse or
dog. It is the equivalent of the human
knee and is often the largest
synovial joint in the animal's body. The stifle joint joins three bones: the
femur,
patella, and
tibia. The joint consists of three smaller ones: the femoropatellar joint, medial femorotibial joint, and lateral femorotibial joint.