sports med

4 main knee ligaments

anterior cruciate (ACL) posterior cruciate (PCL) medial collateral (mcl) lateral collateral (lcl)

what type of joint is the tibiofemoral joint

hinge joint

The fibula articulates with the tibia in 2 places (proximally and distally), what are the types of these individual joints and what’s the difference?

Proximal Tibiofibular Joint: Plane synovial joint, sliding joint, or diarthrodial plane joint. Has gliding/movement.

Distal Tibiofibular Joint: Fibrous Joint; Syndesmosis. Locked in place.

what is the kneecap known as

patella

ROMS of knee

rotation, flexion, extension

What are the structures involved in our “extensor mechanism” that allows our knee to fully extend?

The (four) quadriceps muscles (the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and the vastus intermedius), the quadriceps tendon, the patella, and the patellar tendon

The hamstrings are on the anterior side of the body

False

The quadriceps are on the anterior side of the body

true

quad strain / tear

1. Quad Strain/Tear

MOI: Sudden forceful contraction or overstretching of the quadriceps, often during sprinting, kicking, or rapid acceleration.

meniscus tear

1. Meniscus Tear

MOI: Weight-bearing rotation of the knee or in other words twisting while the foot is planted. Can also occur with deep squatting and gradual breakdown of the cartilage over time with age.

osgood sclatters disease

1. Osgood Schlatter’s Disease

MOI: Repetitive traction from the patellar tendon pulling on the tibial tuberosity during rapid growth and is common in jumping and running of adolescents.

ACL rupture/sprain

1. ACL Rupture/Sprain

MOI: Non-contact valgus collapse with knee pivoting or cutting. Or hyperextension with rotation of the knee

patellar tendon tear

1. Patellar Tendon Tear

MOI: Sudden forceful contraction of the quadriceps muscles while the knee is in a flexed position. Can be from activities including jumping or landing.

MCL rupture

1. MCL Rupture

MOI: Direct lateral blow to the lateral knee creating valgus stress or excessive valgus collapse during cutting.

Total Knee Dislocation

1. Total (Full) Knee Dislocation

MOI: High-energy trauma like a car accident, major fall, or sports collision, causing complete disruption of tibiofemoral alignment.

Unhappy Triad of Knee

1. Unhappy Triad of Knee

MOI: Valgus force with external rotation of the tibia, classically from a lateral blow to the knee. Damages the ACL, MCL, and Meniscus.

PCL rupture

1. PCL Rupture

MOI: Direct blow to the proximal tibia driving it posteriorly (“dashboard injury”) or the hyperflexion of the knee, can be hyperextension but most commonly hyperflexion.

Bakers Cyst

1. Baker’s Cyst

MOI: Increased intra-articular knee pressure from underlying conditions like a meniscus tear or arthritis causing synovial fluid to push into the popliteal bursa.

1. Patellar Dislocation

MOI: Forceful knee valgus with tibial external rotation while quadriceps contracts; often occurs during cutting or landing.

Patellar Tendonitis

1. Patellar Tendonitis (Jumper’s Knee)

MOI: Chronic overuse from repetitive jumping, running, or kicking causing microtears at the patellar tendo

Ostheochondritis Dissecans

Repetitive microtrauma leading to localized subchondral bone injury and cartilage separation in young athletes in particular

Femur Fracture

1. Femur Fracture
   MOI: High-energy impact such as motor vehicle accidents, major falls, or strong direct blows to the thigh.

Tibial Plateau Fracture

Axial load combined with valgus or varus force leading to femoral condyles to dive in the tibial plateau

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

1. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
   MOI: Repetitive knee flexion activities (running, stairs, squatting) combined with poor patellar tracking from muscle imbalance or overuse.