The tibia, the larger of the two lower leg bones, can be broken in three areas: the tibial plateau, near the knee; the shaft; and tibial plafond, near the ankle. Fractures in each region have their ow...
The patella (kneecap) is a subcutaneous bone within the quadriceps tendon that can be fractured by direct impact, or by forces generated by the quadriceps muscle. A typical mechanism of injury for a d...
Anterior knee pain may be found with patellar instability (subluxation or complete dislocation of the patella out of the trochlear groove) or patellofemoral arthrosis. It may also have no objectively...
The medial and lateral meniscus (plural: menisci) are crescent-shaped pieces of fibrocartilage that lie atop the tibia to cushion its contact with the femur and help stabilize the knee. Because these...
The extensor mechanism of the knee comprises the quadriceps muscle and tendon, the patella, and the patellar tendon (also known as the infra-patellar ligament). Disruption of any of these components i...
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) connect the femur to the tibia and stabilize the knee joint, primarily in the sagittal plane (i.e., resisting anterior and po...
There are two collateral ligaments of the knee: the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the lateral collateral ligament (LCL). Injuries of the MCL are much more common, owing to its exposure to damag...
Chondral injuries of the knee are lesions of the articular cartilage of the knee joint. (The colloquial expression “cartilage damage” might also include meniscal tears, which is an altogether separate...
A bursa is a sac-like structure found near joints that allows soft tissues to glide across bony prominences. Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursa. Near the knee, there are three clinically importa...
Arthritis of the knee is a family of disorders characterized by pain, loss of function, progressive deterioration of the articular surface, and pathological change in the bones and nearby soft tissues...
