Cruciate ligament, anterior
Cruciate ligament, anterior: The knee joint is surrounded by a joint capsule with ligaments strapping the inside and outside of the joint (collateral ligaments) as well as crossing within the joint (cruciate ligaments). These ligaments provide stability and strength to the knee joint.
The anterior cruciate ligament (cruciate means shaped like a cross) is in the front, as indicated here:
The knee is a joint which has three parts. The thigh bone (femur) meets the large shin bone (tibia) forming the main knee joint. This joint has an inner (medial) and an outer (lateral) compartment. The kneecap (patella) and the femur form a third joint, called the patellofemoral joint.
The meniscus is a c-shaped cartilage pad between the two joints formed by the femur and tibia. The meniscus acts as a smooth surface for the joint to move on. The knee joint is surrounded by fluid- filled sacs called bursae, which serve as gliding surfaces that reduce friction of the tendons. Below the kneecap, there is a large tendon (patellar tendon) which attaches to the front of the tibia bone. There are large blood vessels passing through the area behind the knee (referred to as the popliteal space).
The large muscles of the thigh move the knee. In the front of the thigh the quadriceps muscles extend the knee joint. In the back of the thigh, the hamstring muscles flex the knee. The knee also rotates slightly under guidance of specific muscles of the thigh.
The knee functions to allow movement of the leg and is critical to normal walking. The knee flexes (bends) normally to a maximum of 135 degrees and extends (straightens) to 0 degrees. The bursae, or fluid- filled sacs, serve as gliding surfaces for the tendons to reduce the force of friction as these tendons move. The knee is a weight-bearing joint. Each meniscus serves to evenly load the surface during weight- bearing and also adds in disbursing joint fluid for joint lubrication.
Read Also:
- Cruciate ligament, posterior
Cruciate ligament, posterior: The knee joint is surrounded by a joint capsule with ligaments strapping the inside and outside of the joint (collateral ligaments) as well as crossing within the joint (cruciate ligaments). These ligaments provide stability and strength to the knee joint. The posterior cruciate ligament (cruciate means shaped like a cross) crosses behind […]
- Crush injury
Crush injury: An injury that occurs because of pressure from a heavy object onto a body part. A crush injury may also arise from squeezing of a body part between two objects. Depending upon their severity, crush injuries can be complicated by bleeding, bruising, broken bones, open wounds, poor circulation, or breakdown of muscle (rhabdomyolysis).
- Crutch
Crutch: A wooden or metal vertical prop that helps support a disabled person while he or she is walking. Crutches extend from the walking surface to either the armpit or the arm. A typical hardwood armpit crutch has a 20-inch length of 1″x1″ wood at the bottom to which are attached 2 other lengths of […]
- Cry for help
Cry for help: An expression of suicidal intent in the hope of receiving help and being rescued. A cry for help may take many different forms such as a telephone call, a message left on an answering phone, a note left in a conspicuous place, or an e-mail message. It may also be a symbolic […]
- Cryo-electron microscopy
Cryo-electron microscopy: An electron microscopic technique that involves freezing the biological sample in order to view the sample with the least possible distortion and the fewest possible artifacts. Abbreviated as cryo-EM. In cryo-EM, the freezing of the sample is done in ethane slush to produce vitreous, or non-crystalline, ice. The frozen sample grid is then […]