Knee: Anatomy and Injuries

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Knee Anatomy and Injuries

• PED 477
• Spring 2009

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Common Knee Injuries

• Acute
• Sprain
• Contusion
• Meniscal

• Chronic
• Tendonitis
• Bursitis
• Apophysitis
• Chondromalacia

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Cartilage
Medial Lateral Menisci

• Structure -
• Wedge shaped
• Creates concave area

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Knee Pathology

• Ligamentous instability
• Unidirectional
• Can happen to any extra-capsular ligament
• MCL
• LCL
• Laxity in only one direction
• Often more easily overcome

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Ligaments - Medial Collateral
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Ligaments - Lateral Collateral
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Knee Pathology

• Ligamentous instability (cont.)
• Rotational
• Involves more than one structure
• Anytime ACL is involved
• Usually involves meniscus as well
• Tibial torsion
• Difficult to participate until healed

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Ligaments - Cruciates
Anterior - ACL
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Ligaments - Cruciates
Posterior - PCL
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Knee Anatomy - ligaments

• Intracapsular
• ACL
• Anterior displacement of tibia
• Tight in extension
• PCL
• Posterior displacement of tibia
• Tight in flexion

• Extracapsular
• MCL
• Prevents lateral force
• Broad, flat
• LCL
• Prevents medial force
• Cord-like

Review
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Knee Pathology

• Patellofemoral dysfunction
• Patellar tendonitis (Jumpers Knee)
• Stress on patellar tendon (tracking)
• quad weakness
• excessive work
• non-resilient surface
• often at inferior pole of patella
• Tibial apophysitis (Osgood-Schlatter Disease)
• Stress on tibial tuberosity
• growth area
• time-dependent

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Patellar Tendonitis
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Patellar tracking and Q-angle
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Knee Joints

• Tibio-femoral joint
• Skeletally unstable
• Stability factors
• ligaments
• menisci
• Patello-femoral joint

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Knee Muscles
Hamstrings (3)
Quadriceps (4)
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Knee Pathology

• Patello-femoral joint
• Chondromalacia
• Destruction of cartilage under patella
• Osteochondritis
• Death of surface bone
• Common on the femur
• Result of cartilage disease or removal

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Knee Pathology

• Bursitis
• Direct trauma
• Differentiate from tendonitis
• Pad/protect, and decrease activity as needed
• Plica
• Synovial fold
• Normal unless symptomatic
• Difficult to overcome