What Do You Know About Taking Care of Your Knees?
Your knees are complex joints and that makes them more likely to be injured. Learning how to prevent knee injuries and treating them if they occur can help you stay active at work and play. Test your knowledge of knees by taking this quiz, based on information from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
The knee is the largest joint in the body and bears most of the body's weight.
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The knee joint is the junction of three bones: the femur (thighbone or upper leg bone), the tibia (shinbone, or larger bone of the lower leg), and the patella (kneecap), which sits over the other bones at the front of the knee joint and slides when the leg moves. Four ligaments connect the femur and tibia and brace the joint against abnormal movement. The ligaments are the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), the medial collateral ligament (MCL), the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), and the lateral collateral ligament (LCL). Separating the bones of the knee are pads of connective tissue called menisci. They act as shock absorbers, cushioning the lower part of the leg from the weight of the rest of the body, as well as enhancing stability.
Ligaments of the knee can be injured by changing direction or twisting when running.
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Changing direction or twisting rapidly, slowing down when running, and landing from a jump are often the causes of injury to the anterior cruciate ligament. Injuries to the medial collateral ligament usually are caused by blows to the outside of the knee. The posterior cruciate ligament can be injured by a blow to the front of the knee.
Ligaments are the only part of the knee that can be injured.
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The meniscus—the cartilage that sits between the femur and the tibia and acts as a shock absorber—can be torn by twisting, cutting, pivoting, slowing down when running, or being tackled. The kneecap can be injured or pushed out of alignment by trauma, overuse, or poor muscle strength.
Kneecap problems, one of the most common problems for runners, can be caused by running on sloped surfaces.
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Kneecap problems also can be caused by not warming up properly and by poor muscle strength in the hamstrings or quadriceps.
Maintaining a healthy weight can help you avoid knee pain.
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Being overweight can put more stress on knee joints, because the knees are the primary support for body weight.
You should see a doctor immediately if you have knee pain that also includes swelling, redness, pinching, or buckling and/or if you heard a pop when you injured the knee.
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Your health care provider may need to treat these injuries early.
Overuse injuries such as tendonitis are the most common type of knee injury.
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These can occur when you do too much, too soon or when you try to push through pain.
Acute injuries happen when you put more stress on a knee than it can handle.
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Putting weight on a knee and then twisting or bending it in an abnormal direction can tear ligaments or damage the cartilage.
Over time, a knee can develop osteoarthritis, a condition that results when the cartilage in the joint gradually wears away.
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It most often affects middle-aged and older people. Osteoarthritis may be caused by repeated injury to the knee, excess weight, or a deformity of the knee joint.
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