Why is the knee joint so prone to injury?
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Dr. Michael Roizen answered:Situated between the two longest bones in your body (the tibia and fibula), the classic door-hinge knee joint bends in one plane of motion-backward, not forward or side to side. It's at risk for strain and injury because of its limited range of motion, the heavy load your knees carry, and the torque (from twisting motions) generated by the two lever-like bones.
While you may hear about knee injuries most commonly in the form of professional athletes who tear their ACLs (anterior cruciate ligaments), the more common knee injury for those of us who do and don't play with pigskin is actually a meniscus tear.
Find out more about this book: YOU: The Owner's Manual, Updated and Expanded Edition: An Insider's Guide t...
Situated between the two longest bones in your body (the tibia and fibula), the classic door-hinge knee joint bends in one plane of motion-backward, not forward or side to side. It's at risk for strain and injury because of its limited range of... More -
Rick Olderman answered:The knee joint is deceptively simple. At first glance, it appears its only job is to bend and straighten. How hard can that be? To truly understand this joint, however, it's important to understand that the end of the thigh bone (femur) is irregularly shaped. This shape dictates that if the lower leg is fixed (for instance, when the foot is in contact with the ground), then the femur must rotate inward as the knee joint bends (flexes) and outward as it straightens (extends). If the lower leg is not fixed on the ground (as when kicking a soccer ball), the lower leg usually rotates instead. This little bit of rotation is where the knee gets into trouble because the large muscles on the front and back of the thigh bend and straighten the knee well, but they are not designed to adequately control knee joint rotation. Instead, the joint surface, meniscus, and ligaments guide rotation.
Find out more about this book: Fixing You: Hip & Knee Pain: Self-treatment for IT band friction, arthritis...
The knee joint is deceptively simple. At first glance, it appears its only job is to bend and straighten. How hard can that be? To truly understand this joint, however, it's important to understand that the end of the thigh bone (femur) is... More
