Knee Injuries and Pathologies

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the most studied and discussed topics in the Sports Medicine community, likely due to its high injury rate and burden. The ACL, together with the other ligaments of the knee joint, have the paramount function of providing stability to the knee.

Collaterals Ligament Injuries

The collateral ligaments are two of the four major ligaments of the knee joint, and, together with the cruciate ligaments, they contribute to the stability of the knee. The medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) are found on the sides of the knee, respectively in the inner and outer part, connecting the femur to the tibia.

Tibial plateau fracture

Considering the epidemiology of all musculoskeletal fractures, tibial plateau fractures are rare and often due to high-energy injury mechanisms that pose an axial load to the tibia.

Knee osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint condition typically developed over the years characterised by a progressive loss of articular cartilage.

Posterior Cruciate Ligament injury

Together with the other three main ligaments of the knee (the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and the two collateral ligaments), the Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) has the paramount function of providing stability to the knee joint, primarily preventing the posterior translation of the tibia on the femur and secondarily assisting in resisting varus, valgus and rotational forces.

Meniscal Injuries

The menisci, the medial (inner) and the lateral (outer), are two wedge-shaped fibrocartilaginous structures of the knee joint that have the paramount functions of supporting the load transmission between structures, providing shock absorption, and enhancing knee stability by improving the congruency of the joint itself.

Patella instability and dislocations

The patellofemoral joint (PFJ) is a joint composed of the patella, often referred to as the kneecap, and the distal part of the femur which is constituted by the trochlea, a sulcus or groove where the patella makes contact and slides during motion.

Patellar fractures

Patellar fractures are primarily caused by a direct impact of the kneecap against an external object, however, in some rare cases, they can occur through indirect mechanisms, where the quadriceps muscle maximally contracts and leads to the injury.

Patellar and quadriceps tendon rupture

The quadriceps and patellar tendon are important components of the knee extensor mechanism, which is constituted by the quadriceps muscles, quadriceps tendon, the patella, the patellar tendon and inserts on the tibia through the tibial tubercle.

Patellofemoral syndrome

The patellofemoral joint (PFJ) is a unique joint of the human being, composed of the patella, often referred to as the kneecap, and the trochlea of the femur, a sulcus or groove where the patella slides during motion

Knee Sprain

The term knee sprain is a general medical term commonly utilised to indicate that the knee joint has been excessively stressed in a direction and that the ligaments surrounding it could have been compromised. Being a general term is not specific to any particular ligament and its symptoms can vary from minimal to severe.

CARTILAGE LESIONS

Articular cartilage lesion is a term that describes an injury reported to the cartilage that covers the joint surfaces of the knee joint, including the tibiofemoral and patella-femoral joints.

Knee tendinopathies

Tendinopathy is an umbrella term implemented in medicine to describe a complex multifaceted pathology of the tendon, typically characterized by pain, decreased functioning and reduced load capacity of the structure.

Osgood–Schlatter

The Osgood-Schlatter disease is a common condition that affects skeletally immature population provoking anterior knee pain at the insertion site of the patellar tendon, in the tibial tuberosity.

Iliotibial Band Syndrome

The iliotibial band is a dense strip of fascia (connective tissues) that originates around the lateral aspect of the hip by the fascia of different muscles (gluteus maximus, medius and tensor fascia latae), runs vertically along the thigh, and inserts in the anterolateral aspect of the tibia (in the Gerdy’s tubercle).

Knee Conditions and Injuries