Understanding Knee pain and Knee Injury

The issue of knee pain and knee injury is a favourite amongst many experts, surgeons and specialists. It may sound strange but there is something about the knee joint that makes it interesting. It may be its apparent simplicity, a concept that is rapidly blown away as the idiosyncracies of the joint come to light.

ANATOMY

The knee is known as a hinge joint because it hasically moves in one plane in a hinge type movement. Closer examination, however, reveals that the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (lower leg bone) rotate against each other as the knee bends and straightens.

This is involved in what is known as the locking mechanism of the knee that occurs as the knee gets into the fully straight position. The technicalities of this are best left to the anatomical experts though.

The knee is comprised of three bones:

The femur or thigh bone that has a classic knuckle shape at the end where it meets the tibia.

The tibia or lower leg bone that has a flatter surface with shallow concave sockets deepened by cartilage structures called menisci, that the 'knuckles' at the end of the femur fit into.

The Patella or knee cap sits at the front of the knee within the quadriceps muscle. It has numerous functions but essentially it acts to protect the knee joint at the front and enhance the power of the powerful quadriceps muscle. It runs in a channel on the front of the femur as the knee bends and straightens.

Other important structures of the knee are:

The Menisci. These structures are so important that they have a whole page allocated to them.

Ligaments Again there is a whole page all about the ligaments of the knee.

Common Injuries of the Knee:

Knee pain and knee injury involving ligament problems

Knee pain and knee injury involving Meniscal or cartilage problems

Fractures around the knee

Degeneration or osteo-arthritis of the knee