1. The Knee

2. Anatomy of the Knee Anatomy of the Knee on YouTube:
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Play from RealPlayer (open)
Video is also saved on desktop if it isn’t playing properly!
Anatomy of the Knee

3. Labelling Structures of the Knee

4. Key Structures Bones: femur, tibia, patella
Muscles: quadriceps (anterior), gastrocnemius and hamstrings (posterior)
Ligaments:
Anterior Cruciate Ligament: stops anterior mov’t of tibia relative to the femur
Posterior Cruciate Ligament: prevents posterior mov’t of the tibia relative to the femur
Medial Collateral Ligament: reinforces the joint capsule medially
Lateral Collateral Ligament: reinforces the joint capsule laterally
Key Structures

5. Key Structures Menisci:
The end of the femur is covered with articulating cartilage which rests at the end of the tibia
There lie two thick fibrocartilage articular discs called the menisci (meniscus-singular): the lateral meniscus & medial meniscus
They sit on the tibial condyles and help increase the stability of the knee joint
Key Structures

6. The knee joint is made up of the articulation of the femur and the tibia. The femur however does not come in contact with the fibula, but the fibula interacts with the tibia.
What is the Knee Joint?

7. The knee joint was first thought to be a hinge joint because it was believed to be responsible for only flexion and extension
However, the knee can rotate the leg medially and laterally to a small degree
Therefore, the knee is considered to be a modified ellipsoid joint which is a type of synovial joint
Type of Joint

8. Because of the poor stability in the knee, as well as all the structures involved in the knee joint, discomfort and injuries are unfortunately, quite common!
Ligament Tears:
ACL – look at Q angle
PCL
Unhappy Triad
Patellofemoral Syndrome
Patellar Tendinitis
Osgood Schlatter
Bursitis
KNEE INJURIES

9. Injuries: Ligament Tears
ACL tear
What motion of the tibia could be responsible for this injury?
Anterior movement (forward movement) of the tibia relative to the femur
More common in sports where foot is planted and athlete must rapidly change directions (e.g. Soccer, football, Ultimate)
Injuries: Ligament Tears

10. The Q-Angle Q-angle stands for the quadriceps angle
The Q angle is formed by two lines drawn:
From the Anterior Superior Illiac Spine (ASIS) through the centre of the patella
From the tibial tuberosity through the centre of the patella
Research indicates that a Q-angle greater than 20 increases the risk of knee injuries
The Q-Angle

11. Measuring Your Q-Angle
Find a friend
Locate their ASIS, tibial tuberosity and the centre of their patella
Create two lines to form your Q-angle – use string or rulers to visualize this!
Measuring Your Q-Angle

13. Question: Who are more prone to knee injuries, based on their Q-angle - men or women? Answer: Generally, because a woman’s pelvis is wider, her Q-angle will be larger than a man’s. This predisposes her to knee ligament tears, among other knee injuries. An NCAA study showed that women suffered ACL injuries four times more often in basketball; three times more often in gymnastics; and two-and-a-half times more often in soccer.
Q-Angle Results

14. Posterior Cruciate Sprain
PCL tears can occur when a football or soccer player falls on a bent knee.
Motor vehicle accidents are another common cause of injury to the PCL. When the driver or passenger strikes the bent knee just below the kneecap (patella) against the dashboard, the force can tear the PCL and damage other ligaments, bones and muscles.
Posterior Cruciate Sprain

15. PCL Injury Signs and symptoms
Marked, immediate swelling (within three hours of the injury)
Difficulty walking after the injury
Painful to move the knee
Occasionally, a feeling of instability, or the knee "giving way“
PCL Injury

16. When the knee suffers a blow to the lateral side, the medial side of the knee is affected: the medial meniscus is torn, the MCL is torn and the ACL is torn.
These three traumas were coined: the Unhappy Triad
This injury is commonplace in football, rugby and soccer where lateral blows to the knee are possible
The Unhappy Triad

17. Medial

18. Patellofemoral Syndrome
Gradual onset of anterior knee pain or pain around the patella
More common in adolescents, young adults and females are more prone than males
Often aggravated by sports such as running, volleyball and basketball
There is quite a bit of disagreement in the sport medicine community as to its cause
Patellofemoral Syndrome

19. Factors Contributing to PFS
Overuse/Overload:
repeated weight bearing impact, landing from jumps
Biomechanical Instability:
flat feet (pronation) causes internal rotation of tibia and femur which stresses the PF joint
high arches puts undue stress on PF joint
Q-angle?
Muscles
Muscle weakness or imbalance (especially quads: hammies)
Factors Contributing to PFS

20. Patellar Tendonitis What is patellar tendonitis?
Patellar tendonitis, also called jumper's knee, is inflammation in the band of tissue (the patellar tendon) that connects the patella to the tibia.
How does it occur?
The most common activity causing patellar tendonitis is too much jumping. Other repeated activities such as running, walking, or bicycling may lead to patellar tendonitis. All of these activities put repeated stress on the patellar tendon, causing it to be inflamed.
Patellar Tendonitis

21. “Jumper’s Knee”

22. Osgood-Schlatter disease
Osgood-Schlatter (OS) disease is one of the most common causes of knee pain in the adolescent.
During periods of rapid growth, stress from contraction of the quadriceps is transmitted through the patellar tendon onto a small portion of the partially developed tibial tuberosity.
The repeated stress can cause the tendon to pull away from the tibia, causing pain and swelling.
Osgood-Schlatter disease

23. Osgood-Schlatter disease

24. Bursitis
“Carpet Layer’s” knee.
This is caused by direct trauma.

25. Tomorrow/Thursday/Friday
Thanks for your patience and attention today!
Tomorrow, and the rest of the week, please bring materials to create a model of a joint. See page in workbook for material suggestions:
Tennis balls
Rubber bands/exercise bands
Balloons
Rods or dowels
Toilet paper rolls
Modelling clay
Tomorrow/Thursday/Friday