Filed Under (ACL Injury, Knee Injury, Knee Pain) by Rick Kaselj on 01-09-2010
Here is part 3 of my knee pain and knee injury series.
If you missed part 1, you can see it here. If you missed part 2, you can see it here.
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Muscles
The movements and the stabilization of the knee joint are supported by the quadriceps and the hamstrings. The quadriceps is actually composed of four individual muscles located on the anterior upper leg. These muscles are the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius and rectus femoris. These muscles fuse, forming the quadriceps tendon. The quadriceps straightens the knee by pulling the patella up on contraction.
The hamstrings are the muscles that attach to the tibia, specifically at the back of the knee. It consists of three individual muscles: biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus. The hamstrings functions by flexing or bending the knee joint. This muscle group also provides stability on both sides of the knee.
Ligaments
The stability of the knee largely depends on the four major knee ligaments: the medial collateral ligament, lateral collateral ligament, anterior cruciate ligament and posterior cruciate ligament. Ligaments are the tough but slightly elastic bands of connective tissues that hold two or more bones together. Excessive movements, such as hyperextension or hyperflexion, at the knee joint are restrained by these ligaments, stabilizing the knee joint and keeping the bones in their correct alignment during movements.
Medial and lateral collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament, or MCL, resists excessive forces coming from the knee’s outer surface, or valgus forces. The lateral collateral ligament, or LCL, resists the forces coming from the inner surface of the knee, or varus forces. These ligaments are located on the outside of the knee joint and are able to heal on their own.
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Next to the femur, the tibia is the largest bone in the body. It is the weight bearing bone of the lower leg. The upper end of the tibia joins with the femur and its lower end joins with the talus, the bone that forms the lower part of the ankle. The fibula is located on the outer side of the leg. Unlike the tibia, this bone is non-weight bearing. Instead, it functions as an ankle joint stabilizer and as an attachment site for one of the four major knee ligaments and the biceps femoris tendon. The lower end of the fibula protrudes on the lateral side of the ankle.
The knee is the largest joint in the human body. In the most recent report of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the knee is also one of the most commonly injured joints. Each year, more than 5.5 million orthopaedic visits are made due to knee injuries. The joint’s high susceptibility to injuries is mainly attributed to its intrinsic anatomical structure and its function during weight-bearing. Moreover, because of the increasing problem of obesity and a sedentary lifestyle, knee injuries are one of the leading causes of disability in modern society.
Over the last decade, torn and ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in female athletes have increased at an alarming rate.
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