Knee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Knee |
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| Right knee seen from the right side | |
| Latin | Articulatio genus |
| System | Musculoskeletal system |
| Nerve | femoral, obturator, sciatic |
In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia, and one between the femur and patella.
The knee is a modified hinge joint, which permits flexion and extension as well as slight internal and external rotation. The knee is vulnerable to injury and to the development of osteoarthritis.
The knee is held together by ligaments which connect the bones and produces fluid which lubricates the movement at the joint.
The meniscus is a cartilage that lies on the inner and outer edges of the upper surface of the tibia. These are the shock absorbers of the knee and supply proper weight distribution.
The knee is the largest joint and one of the most important joints in the body. It plays an essential role in movement related to carrying the body weight in horizontal (running and walking) and vertical (jumping) directions.
At birth, the kneecap is just formed from cartilage, and this will ossify (change to bone) between the ages of three and five years. Because it is the largest sesamoid bone in the human body, the ossification process takes significantly longer.
Images for kids
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Articular surfaces of femur
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Articular surfaces of tibia
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Anteromedial aspect of right knee
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Arteries of the knee
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Lateral trauma to the knee can cause torn medial collateral ligaments, cruciate ligament injury as well as meniscus injury.
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Model demonstrating parts of an artificial knee
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Radiography to examine eventual fractures after a knee injury
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Hip-knee-ankle angle by age, with 95% prediction interval.
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Left knee-joint from behind, showing interior ligaments.
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Capsule of right knee-joint (distended). Lateral aspect.
See also
In Spanish: Articulación de la rodilla para niños
