Femur
The thigh bone- the longest and strongest bone in your body
Patella
The kneecap- small, triangular sesamoid bone that sits in front of the knee joint
Femorotibial Joint
The technical name for the main knee joint where the femur meets the tibia
Patellofemoral Joint
The joint where the patella (kneecap) meets the femur - the kneecap glides up and down in a groove on the front of the femur.
Knee Flexion
Bending the knee
bringing heel toward buttocks.
Knee Extension-
Straightening the knee - bringing leg straight.
Kinetic Chain (Leg)
The linked system of three joints working together: ankle, knee, and hip
what happens at one joint affects the others.
Quadriceps
The four-muscle group on the front of the thigh that extends (straightens) the knee
consists of vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and rectus femoris.
Vastus Lateralis
The outer quadriceps muscle
the largest of the four
Vastus Medialis (VMO)
The inner quadriceps muscle
especially the lower portion near the knee
Vastus Intermedius
The deep quadriceps muscle lying beneath the rectus femoris
can’t be seen but works with other quads to extend the knee.
Rectus Femoris
The only quadriceps muscle that crosses both hip and knee joints
extends the knee and flexes the hip.
Hamstrings
The three-muscle group on the back of the thigh that flexes the knee and extends the hip
consists of biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus.
Biceps Femoris
The hamstring muscle on the outer/lateral side of the back of the thigh
has two heads (long and short).
Semitendinosus
The hamstring muscle on the inner/medial side of the back of the thigh
has a long tendon.
Semimembranosus
The hamstring muscle on the inner/medial side beneath semitendinosus
has a broader attachment.
Two-Joint Muscles
Muscles that cross two joints and therefore affect both
examples include rectus femoris (hip and knee) and all three hamstrings (hip and knee).
Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL)
Knee ligament running along the inside that prevents the knee from buckling inward (valgus stress).
Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL)
Knee ligament running along the outside that prevents the knee from buckling outward (varus stress).
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) -
Knee ligament inside the joint running diagonally from front of tibia to back of femur
prevents tibia from sliding too far forward and prevents hyperextension.
Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) -
Knee ligament inside the joint running diagonally from back of tibia to front of femur
prevents tibia from sliding too far backward.
Meniscus
C-shaped pieces of cartilage (medial and lateral) that sit between femur and tibia
act as shock absorbers and deepen the socket
