Anatomy of Torn Cartilage and Other Knee Accidents4017346

The human knee is a extremely difficult joint. Two main bones come jointly at the knee -- the femur (thigh bone) and the tibia -- (shin bone). There is a 3rd bone found at the knee -- the patella (knee cap), but it does not participate in the joint amongst the femur and the tibia tibiawt. The lower finish of the femur has two created to suit into the concave surfaces on the tibia. But there are many issues positioned in between.

Very first of all, the two the decrease end of the femur and the upper end of the tibia are lined with a layer of cartilage, called articular cartilage. Secondly, there are two ring-like pads of cartilage inserted between the articular cartilage of the femur and the articular cartilage of the tibia. 1 of these is found amongst the curved surfaces on the medial aspect (closer to the midline of the entire body) of the knee and is named the medial meniscus. The other a single is found among the curved surfaces on the lateral facet (farther from the midline of the human body) of the knee and is named the lateral meniscus. Thirdly, there is synovial fluid lubricating all of these cartilage surfaces.

There are also many ligaments linked with the knee. Ligaments are cords of connective tissue which go from one particular bone to one more across a joint. Their perform is to make the joint stronger. Two of these knee ligaments sort an X in the area between the medial meniscus and the lateral meniscus. They are referred to as cruciate ligaments, from the latin word for an X. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) starts on the center of the entrance of the tibia and attaches in close proximity to the back of the femur tibiawt. The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) commences around the center of the again of the tibia and attaches around the front of the femur.

Two other ligaments of the knee are known as collateral ligaments. The medial collateral ligament (MCL) commences on the medial side of the femur and attaches on the medial aspect of the tibia. The lateral collateral ligament (LCL) commences on the lateral side of the femur and attaches on the lateral facet of the tibia. Two a lot more knee ligaments are referred to as popliteal ligaments. They both begin on the back of the femur and supply strength to the back again of the knee. The patellar ligament commences at the patella (knee cap) and attaches to the front of the tibia. It provides toughness to the entrance of the knee. There are also other ligaments connected with the knee.

One type of knee harm is named a torn cartilage. This refers to a tear in both the medial meniscus or the lateral meniscus. The medial meniscus is significantly more very likely to be torn than the lateral meniscus. The cause for this is that the medial collateral ligament (MCL) is in fact attached to the medial meniscus. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is also connected to the medial meniscus. If the knee is strike from the facet or twisted, the power pulls on the medial collateral ligament (MCL), which in switch pulls on the medial meniscus, which in flip pulls on the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). As a outcome, the two ligaments may possibly extend or tear. Considering that the meniscus is composed of cartilage, it can't stretch so it tears.

A torn lateral meniscus is considerably significantly less most likely to occur, but it is not extremely hard. The lateral meniscus tibia world trade is not attached to the lateral collateral ligament (LCL), but it is hooked up to the posterior cruciate ligament.

Yet another type of knee harm is a dislocation. This refers to a scenario in which the higher finish of the tibia is pushed out of its standard placement, right underneath the reduce end of the femur. The tibia could be displaced in any course -- forward, backward, to the medial side, or the the lateral side, or it could be twisted in place. With a dislocation, there is the possibility of harm to any of the structures associated with the knee or to any of the blood vessels in the knee area.