The Knee
The knee is one of the most complex joints. Some experts say that knee injuries are the most common joint injury. We tend to ignore our knees until something happens to them that causes knee pain.
The knee is essentially made up of four bones. When the knee moves, it doesn’t just bend and straighten. There is also a slight rotation in this motion. The quadricep and hamstring muscles go across the knee joint. The ligaments are equally important in the knee joint because they hold the joint together. In essence, the bones support the knee and provide the rigid structure of the joint, the muscles move the joint, and the ligaments stabilize the joint.
The knee joint also has a structure made of cartilage, which is called the meniscus or meniscal cartilage. It helps to protect the joint and allows the bones to slide freely on each other. There is also a bursa around the knee joint. A bursa is a little fluid sac that helps the muscles and tendons slide freely as the knee moves.
For the knee to function well, a person needs to have strong, flexible muscles. In addition, the cartilage and ligaments must be smooth and strong. A knee injury occurs when any of these parts of the knee joint are damaged or irritated.
There are a number of options for managing knee problems, which range from knee exercises to several types of orthopedic knee surgery - such as knee-replacement surgery.