Determine Cause of Knee Pain With Structure

Understanding the structure of your knee may help you determine the cause of its pain.

Your knee is an intersection of three bones: the femur (thigh bone or upper leg bone), the tibia (shin bone or larger bone of the lower leg), and the patella (knee cap).

The patella sits over the intersection of the two other bones at the front of the knee joint. Its main purpose is to protect this joint and give leverage to surrounding muscles.

These knee bones are covered with articular cartilage on their ends. This cartilage is a tough, elastic material that is meant to absorb shock and allow for smooth joint movement.

Separating the bones in your knee are pads of connective tissue called menisci. There are two crescent-shaped menisci between your tibia and femur bones on the outer and inner sides of each knee. They also act as shock absorbers by cushioning your lower leg from the huge weight of the rest of the body. And they offer an additional benefit of enhancing your knees’ stability.

Your have two groups of muscles at your knee which involve movement. Your quadriceps muscles located on the front of your thigh work to straighten the knee from a bent position. Your hamstring muscles, running along the back of your thigh from hip to just below your knee, help bend your knee.

Pay close attention here because this is where many knees run into injury problems.

Your quadriceps are connected to the patella via a tendon which provides the power to straighten the knee.

Your femur and tibia connect via four ligaments which provide the joint strength and stability. These four ligaments are identified as follows:

  • The medial collateral ligament, runs along the inside of the knee joint, provides stability to the inner (medial) part of the knee.
  • The lateral collateral ligament, runs along the outside of the knee joint, provides stability to the outer (lateral) part of the knee.
  • The anterior cruciate ligament, in the center of the knee, limits rotation and the forward movement of the tibia.
  • The posterior cruciate ligament, also in the center of the knee, limits backward movement of the tibia.

Many painful knee injuries involve one or more of these 4 ligaments and tendon. Diagnostic tests are used to determine the nature of an injury.

Filed under: Knee

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