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| The Knee and Shin |
In human anatomy, the knee is the lower extremity joint connecting the femur and the tibia. Since in humans the knee supports nearly the entire weight of the body, it is vulnerable both to acute injury and to the development of osteoarthritis.
Articulation
The main function of the knee is to accept and transfer biomechanical loads between the femur, tibia, patella, and fibula. The ligaments represent non-rigid stabilisers during the transmission of forces. The articular cartilages act as bearing surfaces, and the menisci as mobile bearings. The muscles provide the movement forces acting across the joint and in concentric and eccentric phases.
Menisci
These are cartilaginous elements within the knee joint which serve to protect the ends of the bones from rubbing on each other and to effectively deepen the tibial sockets into which the femur attaches. They also play a role in shock absorption. There are two menisci in each knee, the medial meniscus and the lateral meniscus. Either or both may be cracked, or torn, when the knee is forcefully rotated and/or bent.
Movements
The knee permits the following movements: flexion, extension, as well as slight medial and lateral rotation. Also, the knee has special locking and unlocking mechanisms, related to movement by the femoral condyles on the tibial plateau. The ligaments and menisci, along with the muscles which traverse the joint, prevent movement beyond the knee's intended range of motion.
Injury
In sports that place great stress on the knees, especially with twisting forces, it is common to tear one or more ligaments or cartilages. The anterior cruciate ligament is often torn as a result of a rapid direction change while running or as a result of some other type of violent twisting motion. It can also be torn by being extended forcefully beyond its normal range, or as a result of being forced sideways. In such cases, other structures will incur damage as well. Especially debilitating is the unfortunately common O’Donahue’s Triad of torn medial collateral and anterior cruciate ligaments and a torn medial meniscus. This typically arises from a combination of inwards forcing and twisting.