What's Going on With My Knee?

Yellow- Menisci, Blue- PCL and ACL, Red- Medial and lateral collateral ligaments

Knee pain is something that is commonly treated in our office. The pain can be located anywhere in or near the knee- the front, back, medially, and laterally. To better understand where our knee pain is coming from, I think that starting with the anatomy of the knee is beneficial!

The structure of the knee joint is made up of 3 main bones which are the femur (the thigh bone), the tibia (the shin bone), and the patella (the kneecap). In between the femur and the tibia are the menisci. We have a medial (closer to midline) and lateral (closer to the outside) meniscus which are made up of fibrocartilage and act like a shock absorber for the pressure in between the two bones. The menisci do not have good blood flow so they are unable to have a similar healing process in comparison to the rest of the body.

The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is located in the center of the knee joint and goes from the femur to the tibia. This ligament is used in stabilization and prevents the femur from sliding backwards on the tibia. The posterior cruciate ligament, or PCL, does the opposite and prevents the femur from sliding too far forwards on the tibia. The PCL and the ACL together are used to stabilize the knee with rotation.

The collateral ligaments are found on both the lateral and medial aspect of the knee. The medial collateral ligament is found on the medial side of the knee and connects the medial aspect of the femur to the medial aspect of the tibia. The ligament is supposed to resist valgus force, which is where your lower leg goes outward as your upper leg goes inward. The lateral collateral ligament connects the lateral aspect of the femur to the lateral aspect of the fibula. This ligament is supposed to resist varus force, which is the opposite of valgus force.

So, when you’re having knee pain, any one or multiple of these things could be part of the cause! Luckily, there are multiple forms of treatments in our office that could help reduce your pain. Physical therapy, chiropractic services, PRP, trigger point injections, laser therapy, and the knee trac could all be part of your recovery! Let us help you figure out what is causing your knee pain!