Knee condition
- Article
- 2021-01-30
Knee problems occur when you get an injury or develop a disease in your knee and it cannot do its job. Your knee is the joint where the bones of the upper leg meet the bones of the lower leg, allowing for hinge-like movements while providing stability and strength to support the weight of your body. Flexibility, strength, and stability are needed for standing and for movements such as walking, running, squatting, jumping and turning.
What are joints?
The point where two or more bones are joined is called a joint. Different types of supporting and moving parts, including bones, cartilage, muscles, ligaments, and tendons, help the knees do their job.
In all joints your:
- Bones are pressed together by a lining called cartilage.
- Bones are connected to bones by strong, elastic bands of tissue called ligaments.
- Muscles are connected to bones by tough tissue cords called tendons. Muscles pull on tendons to move joints.
While muscles are not technically part of a joint, they are important because strong muscles support and protect your joints.
Each of these structures is subject to disease and injury. When a knee problem affects your ability to do things, it can have a major impact on your life. Knee problems can interfere with many things, from exercising to simply getting up from a chair and walking.
What are the parts of the knee?
Like any joint, the knee consists of:
- Bones.
- Cartilage.
- Ligaments.
- Tendons.
- Muscles.
Bones and cartilage
The knee joint is the junction of three bones:
- The femur, also called the femur or thigh bone.
- The tibia, also known as the shin or greater bone of the lower leg.
- The patella or kneecap. The patella is 2 to 3 inches wide and 3 to 4 inches long. It sits over the other bones in the front of the knee joint and slides when the knee moves. It protects the knee and gives strength to muscles.
The cartilage in the knee joint includes:
- Articular cartilage, a tough elastic material that covers the ends of the three bones in the knee joint. Articular cartilage helps to absorb shocks and allows the knee joint to move smoothly.
- Menisci, two crescent-shaped discs of connective tissue that separate the bones of the knee. They are located between the shin and thigh, on the outside and inside of each knee. The two menisci in each knee act as shock absorbers, cushioning the lower part of the leg against the weight of the rest of the body and improving stability.
Muscles
At the knee there are two muscle groups.
- The four quadriceps muscles in the front of the thigh work to extend the knee from a bent position.
- The hamstrings, which run along the back of the thigh from the hip to just below the knee, help bend the knee.
Tendons and ligaments
The quadriceps tendon connects the quadriceps muscle to the patella (the kneecap) and provides the force to extend the knee. The following four ligaments connect the femur and tibia and provide strength and stability to the joint:
- The medial collateral ligament, which runs along the inside of the knee joint, provides stability to the inner (medial) part of the knee.
- The lateral collateral ligament, which runs along the outside of the knee joint, provides stability to the outer (lateral) part of the knee.
- The anterior cruciate ligament, in the center of the knee, restricts rotation and forward movement of the tibia.
- The posterior cruciate ligament, also in the center of the knee, restricts backward movement of the shin.
The knee capsule is a protective, fibrous structure that wraps around the knee joint. Inside the capsule, the joint is lined with a thin, soft tissue called a synovium.
Symptoms
The symptoms of your knee problem depend on the type of injury or condition.
Arthritis
The symptoms of knee osteoarthritis are:
- Pain.
- Stiffness.
The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis andih.gov/health-topics/gout/advanced"> gout in the knee can be:
- Pain.
- Stiffness.
- Swelling.
- Redness.
- Hot to the touch.
Chondromalacia
The most common symptom of chondromalacia is a dull pain around or below the kneecap that gets worse when walking up stairs or hills. A person may also feel pain when climbing stairs or if the knee gains weight as it straightens.
Meniscal injury
Symptoms of meniscal injury include:
- Pain, especially when the knee is straight.
- Swelling.
- Clicking noise in the knee.
- Locking of the knee joint.
- Weakness.
Sometimes, if you injure your knee but didn't seek treatment, you can develop symptoms months or years later. While meniscal injury symptoms may resolve on their own, they often persist or recur and require treatment.
Cruciate ligament injuries
The symptoms of cruciate ligament injury can include:
- Hearing a popping sound
- Buckling of the leg when trying to stand on it.
Medial and Lateral Collateral Ligament Lesions
The symptoms of medial and lateral collateral ligament injuries can include:
- If you feel a pop, the knee may buckle sideways.
- Pain.
- Swelling.
Tendon injuries
The symptoms of tendon injury or disease can include:
- Pain.
- Inflammation.
- Swelling
Osgood-Schlatter Disease
The symptoms of Osgood-Schlatter disease are usually:
- Pain below the knee that usually gets worse with activity and is relieved with rest.
- A bony lump under the kneecap that is painful when pressed.
Iliotibial band syndrome
The symptoms of iliotibial band syndrome can include:
- Pain on the side of the knee, which can reach to the side of the thigh.
- Feeling a breeze when the leg is bent and then straightened.
- A pain or burning sensation on the side of the knee during activity.
Osteochondritis Dissecans
The symptoms of osteochondritis dissecans can include:
- Pain, which can be sharp if the cartilage breaks down.
- Weakness.
- Lock knee joint.
Plica syndrome
The symptoms of plica syndrome can include:
- Pain.
- Swelling.
- Click feeling in the knee
- Weakness
- Locking of the knee joint.
Therapy
Treatment for knee problems depends on your type of injury or condition.
Arthritis in knees
The most common type of knee arthritis is osteoarthritis . In this disease, the cartilage in your knee gradually wears away. Treatments for osteoarthritis include:
- Medicines to reduce pain, such as aspirin and acetaminophen.
- Medicines to reduce swelling and inflammation such as ibuprofen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
- Injections of corticosteroid medications directly into the knee joint.
- Exercises to improve movement and strength.
- Weight loss to relieve stress on the knee joint.
Rheumatoid arthritis is another type of arthritis that affects the knee. In rheumatoid arthritis, your knee becomes inflamed and cartilage can be destroyed. Treatment includes:
- Physiotherapy to strengthen the muscles.
- Weight loss to relieve stress on the knee joint.
- Medicines similar to those prescribed for osteoarthritis. However, you may need additional medicines such as disease-modifying medicines, anti-rheumatic medicines or biological response modifiers to control the disease.
- Knee for a serious knee injury, including:
- Knee replacement.
- Cartilage replacement.
- The damaged cartilage resurfaces.
Other joint treatment
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