Knee Research Paper

The structures that are associated with the medial surface of the knee are the medial meninscus and the medial collateral ligament. Part III - The Mile-High

9. Hyaline cartilage is found on many joint surfaces, it has a very firm consistency. It contains no nerves or blood vessels, and its structure is relatively simple. Elastic cartilage, also called yellow cartilage, is present in the ears; it contains elastic fiber networks and collagen fibers. Fibrocartilage is found in the pubic symphysis, the annulus firbrosus of the intervertebral discs, menisci and the TMJ. During labor, the pubic symphysis is loosened to aid in delivery.

Cartilage tissue is a smooth, firm substance that protects ends of the bones from friction during movement and they can be found at the end of our bones in mobile joints, the front ends of the ribs, also in parts of our nose and ears.

The triangular shaped cartilage within the knee joint that assists with stabilizing, cushioning and transmitting weight across the joint is the meniscus. Several conditions related to the meniscus are visible on an MRI Scan.

Each bone in a synovial joint has articular cartilage at the articulating surface. The C-shaped medial and lateral menisci serve to deepen the articulation at the superior surface of the tibia, thus enhancing the bony stability of the joint.

Collagen type I is strong in tension and type II collagen is the primary structural component in articular and hyaline cartilage because it has good compressive strength making it good for bone growth since bones need to be able to support heavy loading.

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a ligament that can be found in the knee. The ACL attaches two of three bones that link to form the knee joint. These bones are the tibia, which is the larger bone in the calf area, and the femur, which is the bone found in the thigh. The third, non-connected bone is the patella, which is the kneecap that offers protection to the overall area. The knee joint houses four primary ligaments, which are separated into the following two groups. The collateral ligaments, which consist of the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) and the medial collateral ligament (MCL), can be found toward the left and right of the patella. Collateral ligaments regulate sideways movements along with bracing for atypical

Three bones meet to form the knee joint. These include the thighbone, or femur, the shinbone, or tibia, and the kneecap, or patella. These bones are connected to other bones by ligaments. There are four major ligaments in the knee. These ligaments include the Medial Collateral Ligament, or MCL, the Lateral Collateral Ligament, or LCL, the Anterior Cruciate Ligament, or ACL, and the Posterior Cruciate Ligament, or PCL.

Hyaline cartilage is the most common kind, and forms fetal skeleton and joint surfaces. It is a strong but flexible tissue that is strengthened by fine collagen fibers (Cartilage Types 04/20/17). Since it exists on joint surfaces, it helps cushion bone interactions and helps bear and distribute weight, thus making it most resistant to wear-and-tear. However, it has poor regenerative properties, and is the weakest of the three types. The second type of cartilage is elastic cartilage, which is more flexible than hyaline cartilage and found in the pinnae, Eustachian tube, larynx, and epiglottis (News Medical Cartilage 04/20/17). The chondrocyte cells in elastic cartilage create a threadlike network of elastic fibers, allowing it to provide strength and elasticity to maintain the structures it makes up. The last type of cartilage is fibrocartilage, which is the strongest out of the three. It is made up of alternating layers of hyaline cartilage matrix in addition to dense collagen fibers fixed in the direction of functional stresses (Cartilage Types 04/20/17). This kind of cartilage is found in between vertebral discs and the pubic

The knee joint consists of four ligaments, two intra-capsular which are the ACL and the PCL and two extra-capsular ligaments including the MCL and LCL. The ACL is an extremely strong stabiliser which prevents anterior displacement of the knee. The ACL is a ligament and therefore connects one bone to another, the femur with the tibia. The ACLs origin is from the anterior intercondylar eminence of the tibia (home,2017) and the fibres pass upwards, backward and laterally inserting into the lateral condyle of the femur.

The main elements for knee stability are tendons and ligaments. Fibrous connective tissue forms a knee capsule, which is padded by a synovial membrane. Suprapatellar bursa is extended if a joint effusion is formed 3.

The knee is a hinge joint which gives the legs mobility. The muscles and ligaments of this joint allows flexion and extension of the leg. “Because the knee supports the majority of the body weight, it is at risk of overuse and traumatic injuries” (France). The knee is composed of 3 major bones; the femur, tibia, and the fibula. The femur is the biggest bone in the human body, the inferior end flares out into two rounded landmarks called femoral condyles. Their name comes from the side of the body they are on, which is where we get Lateral Femoral Condyle and Media Femoral Condyle. Superiorly to these condlyes are the medial and lateral femoral epicondyles. The bones inferior to the femur are the Tibia and Fibula. The superior end of the Tibia flares out into slightly concave structures called the Tibial Plateaus. A crescent wedge shape of cartilage sits in each plateau. These are the Medial Meniscus and the Lateral Meniscus. This cartilage acts as a shock absorber and distributes forces. “The menisci are bathed by the synovial fluid of the knee” (France). The meniscus is what separates the each side of the Tibia and Femur and the transverse ligament connects each menisci. There is a circular bone on the

in place by the Synovial membrane which helps produce the fluid. Ligaments help attach the two

The medial ligament complex of the knee includes one large ligament and a series of capsular thickenings and tendinous attachments.(28)

The skeletal system is made up of cartilage and bone. Both bone and cartilage are connective tissues, that is, they are composed of cells in a matrix with intracellular fibers. Just imagine connective tissue as a gelatin salad with grapes and coconut. The grapes would represent cells, the gelatin the support material for matrix, and the pieces of coconut the intracellular fibers. By changing the amounts of each ingredient and adding extra substances, we can produce a material that is very hard like bone and can withstand weight or softer like cartilage which can be used as a cushioning material.