To understand how injuries happen, it helps to know how the knee works.

The knee is the largest

joint in the body; it provides stability and allows the legs to bend, swivel, and straighten.

The knee joint is at the ends of the femur (thighbone) and thetibia (shinbone); it is protected by
the patella (kneecap). The ends of the femur and tibia and the back of the patella are covered
inarticular cartilage, which acts as a cushion to keep the femur, patella, and tibia from grinding
against each other. On the top of the tibia, extra pads of cartilage called menisci help absorb the
body's weight. Each knee has two menisci the inside (medial) meniscus and the outside (lateral)
meniscus.
The muscles around the knee include the quadriceps, a large muscle at the front of the thigh, and
the hamstring, located at the back of the thigh. The quadriceps help straighten the leg and the
hamstring helps bend the knee.
Several tendons cables of strong tissue that connect muscles to bones work together to help
move the knee. The tendons in the knee are the quadriceps tendon, the patellar tendon, and the
hamstring tendons. All work together to allow the leg to extend.
Ligaments are cables of strong tissue that connect bones to bones. The four main ligaments in
the knee that help connect the femur to the tibia and keep the knees stable are:
1.

medial collateral ligament (MCL): connects the femur to the tibia along the inside of
the knee. It keeps the inner part of the knee stable and helps control the sideways motion of
the knee, keeping it from bending inward.

2.

lateral collateral ligament (LCL): connects the femur to the tibia along the outside of
the knee. It keeps the outer part of the knee stable and helps control the sideways motion of
the knee, keeping it from bending outward.

3.

anterior cruciate ligament (ACL): connects the femur to the tibia at the center of the
knee. It helps control the knee's rotation.

4.

posterior cruciate ligament (PCL): connects the femur to the tibia at the back of the
knee. It helps control the knee's backward motion.