Last update:
You are : Knee
> Generalities
Generalities
The knee is a complex joint composed of :
- Bones and cartilages : femur, tibia et patella
- Muscles
- Cruciate and lateral ligaments
- Menisci
The clinic examination of the knee will consist in :
- Measuring of the motions
- Looking for aching areas
- Looking for effusion
- Looking for laxity
- Studying the morphology
- Inspecting the Patella
- Studying the muscles
Knee pain is one of the most frequent cause of consultation. The three most important causes are :
- Traumas (bruises, sprains, fractures)
- Patella dysfunction (patellofemoral pain syndrome, patellar instability)
- Joint aging or osteoarthrosis
But there are other cases of knee pain, that are less frequent or even rare :
- Muscular dysfunction
- Morphologic anomaly
- Some diseases that can destroy the joint
- Minor and malignant tumors
In most cases, the opinion of a physician that will examine the knee is crucial, for most pain are medecine treatment resistant.
Knee traumas can occur at any time and in any circumstances :
- Everyday life
- Traffic accident
- Sport injuries
There can be many damages, more or less severe :
- Menisci damages
- Tearing of the cruciate and lateral ligaments
- Torn muscles
- Fractures (femur, tibia, patella)
- Alteration of cartilages
- Dislocation (femur, tibia, patella)
The treatment will differ according to the severeness of the trauma :
- Medical treatment that combines antalgics, anti-inflammatories, rest and re-habilitation
- Surgical treatment such as arthroscopy.
Copyright knee-arthroscopy.com © 2008. All rights reserved