Consequences of Limited Movement at the Knee Joint

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The knee joint is the most complicated and impacted joint in the body. While technically a hinge joint, it allows slight rotational movement and takes high impact stress.

The joint itself consists of the distal part of the femur, the proximal part of the tibia and associated ligament attachments to the fibula. The huge quadriceps of the anterior thigh attach over the joint, imbedding the patella anterior before they insert on the tibial tuberosity. The posterior hamstrings attach to the fibula and tibia posteriorly. They provide the joint movement. Closer to the joint itself, there are ligaments that connect bone to bone. To the sides of the knee are the collateral ligaments, the medial and lateral. There are also the very important cruciate ligaments, the anterior (ACL) and posterior (PCL) that cross between the femur and tibia internally to keep the joint in place. The joint is enclosed in a synovial capsule. The synovial fluid is ...