The basic anatomy of your knee joint consists of 3 bones, the femur, tibia and patella. Understanding the general make-up of your knee and the primary functions it performs, which consist of bending, straightening, twisting and rotating, will give you an understanding of what we often ask from our knees and the knee strengthening exercises you’ll have to undertake when overcoming a knee injury. The two main bones, femur (thigh bone), and the tibia (shin bone), form the knee’s hinge joint. The patella (kneecap) gives protection for the front of the joint. Other knee parts include ligaments, tendons and bursae. Components work with leg muscles to control the pressure your knee will receive when you walk, run and jump.

Ligaments

4 ligaments work in partnership to attach the femur to tibia. Composed of stringy band-like tissue, ligaments encapsulate the knee joint. Ligaments assist the joint to move directionally and provide stability. 2 collateral ligaments, in the middle of the knee joint, prohibit sideways movement.

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), found in the middle of the knee, connects the tibia to the femur. It also restricts the tibia’s front and rotation movement. The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) found behind the ACL prohibits the tibia’s rear motion.

Tendons

Produced of the exact same material as ligaments, tendons connect muscles. Quadriceps tendons attach the quadriceps muscle, — in the front of the thigh to the patella. The Patella tendon joins the patella to the tibia. The quadriceps and patella tendons, along with the quadriceps muscle, straighten the leg which is key when performing knee strengthening exercises,eg knee presses or stiff leg lifts.

The basic anatomy of a knee is composed of three bones – the femur, tibia and patella. Understanding the make up of the knee may gain you a new appreciation of what we usually ask of our knees and the knee strengthening exercises you are going to gain from reading further on the topic.

Cartilage

The articular cartilage covers the ends of the tibia and femur and the underside of the patella. 2 further pads of cartilage—the lateral meniscus and medial meniscus—provides additional cushioning for the knee joint. These pads reduce shock to the knees.

Bursae

Bursae refer to fluid-filled sacs that surround the knee and cushion the joint. Prepatellar burbae are positioned in the front of the kneecap and anserine burnae falls about 2 inches below the knee joint, on the inside knee. Infrapatellar bursae are located just below the patella.

The document above covers the essential anatomy of the knee which should help you to understand the specifics of knee exercises used to overcome injury. If you’ve got any questions in relation to knee strengthening especially if you’re overcoming a knee injury you could visit www.kneestrengtheningexerciseshq.com for some useful information.