Anatomy of the Knee
The knee joint is made up of three bones, four ligaments, and two different types of cartilage. The main parts of the knee are:
-
The Ligaments
There are four major ligaments in the knee joint. The Medial Collateral Ligament, the Lateral Collateral Ligament and two ligaments which cross in the middle of the knee, the Anterior Cruciate Ligament and the Posterior Cruciate Ligament. Of these, the most commonly injured are the Medial Collateral Ligament and the Anterior Cruciate Ligament. These ligaments stabilize and secure an otherwise inherently unstable knee joint. They provide stability as we run and twist our knees into various positions with sports. WhenRead more -
Tibia
(shin bone) At the knee joint, the tibia is the cup like bottom part of the joint. It is divided into the inner, medial plateau and the outer, lateral plateau. -
Patella (knee cap)
Knee Cap – The patella is the small bone in front of the knee that rides in a special groove called a Trochlea located in front of the FemurRead more -
Femur
(thigh bone) At the knee joint, the femur is the rounded top part of the joint. It is divided into the inner, medial, condyle and the outer, lateral condyle. -
Meniscus Cartilage
Knees are designed to withstand the pressures of a lifetime of walking, running, sitting, and standing. But in many cases, the joint’s delicate balance is disturbed. An injury may cause the meniscus to tear, or may give rise to defects in the articular cartilage.Read more -
Articular Cartilage
The tough yet elastic tissue capping the bone ends in the knee is called articular cartilage. Working in tandem with meniscal cartilage, articular cartilage acts as a shock absorber for the knee, allowing the joint to withstand the day-to-day pressures of walking, running, sitting and standing.Read more
