Connective Tissue in the Knee

The knee is made up of bones, ligaments, tendons, cartilage and

muscles. These are connective tissues.
Bones
- Bones allow the knee to be strong, stable, and flexible
- Bone is living, growing tissue
- It has many blood vessels and can fix itself very easily
- It is made of collagen (a protein that provides a soft structure)
and calcium phosphate (a mineral that hardens the structure
and makes it stronger)
o Collagen is a protein made up of amino acids, which are
built from carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. Collagen is made
up of specific amino acids: Glycine, Proline, Hydroxyproline
and Arginine.
- The body has two types of bones:
o Cortical bone is dense and compact. It is the outside
layer of the bone.
o Trabecular bone is spongy and honeycomb-like. It is the
inner layer of the bone.
Bones of the knee:
1

1. Patella
The Patella is commonly known as the kneecap

 It is a flat, triangular bone

It moves when the leg moves
When the knee is bent or straightened it relieves friction
between the bones and muscles
2. Femur
The femur is commonly known as the thigh bone
It is the largest, longest, and strongest bone in the body
It has round knobs at its ends called condyles
3. Tibia
The tibia is commonly known as the shin bone
It goes from the knee to the ankle
The top of it is made of two plateaus (weight-bearing
area) and the tibial tubercle (a knuckle-like bump)
On each side of the tibia there are menisci (crescentshaped shock-absorbing cartilages which help stabilize the
knee)
4. Fibula
Long, thin bone in the bottom half of the leg
On the lateral side (the side of the knee that is farthest
from the other knee) of the leg
Goes from the knee to the ankle, beside the tibia
Ligaments
- The ligaments attach bones together.
- They are made from long, stringy, collagen fibers
- They give strength and stability to the knee.
- They are strong, sturdy bands.
- They are not very flexible.
- If they are stretched, they tend to stay that way. If stretched too
much they can snap.

1
2
3
4
Patellar Ligament 5

1. Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL)

Also known as the tibial collateral ligament
It attaches the medial side (the side of the knee closest to
the other knee) of the femur to the medial side of the tibia
It limits the sideways motion of the knee
2. Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL)
Also known as the fibular collateral ligament
It attaches the lateral side of the femur to the lateral side
of the tibia
It limits the sideways motion of the knee
3. Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)
It attaches the tibia to the femur in the center of the knee
It is located deep inside of the knee, in front of the PCL
It limits rotational and forward motion of the tibia
4. Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL)
It is the strongest ligament

 It attaches the tibia and the femur

It is deep inside the knee, behind the ACL
It limits the backwards motion of the knee
5. Patellar Ligament
It attaches the kneecap (patella) to the tibia
In simpler terms
- The LCL and MCL stop the knee from going to far sideways
- The ACL and PCL cross over in the center of the knee. They keep
the tibia from going too far backwards or forwards.
- These 4 ligaments control the stability of the knee
Tendons
- Tendons are elastic tissues
- They are fibrous connective tissue (made of bundles of
collagenous white fibers which are rows of connective tissue
cells)
- They connect muscles to bones
- Tendons in the knee help to stabilize the knee

Tendons in the knee:

1. The quadriceps tendon connects the
quadriceps muscle to the kneecap and
allows the knee to be straightened
2. The patellar tendon connects the
kneecap to the tibia. It is the same
thing as the patellar ligament but both
names are used to refer to it.

Cartilage
- Cartilage is stiff but flexible tissue that handles weight well
- It has a high water content, which is why it is so flexible
- It has very little blood vessels and is bad at fixing itself
- It is found at the ends of bones that touch other bones
- It allows bones to move more smoothly against each other
- It absorbs shock placed on the knee
- It is made of specialized cells called chondrocytes

1. Articular Cartilage
On the ends of all bones in all joints
In the knee joint, articular cartilage covers the ends of the
femur and tibia as well as the back of the patella
This cartilage is kept wet by synovial fluid (contains
hyaluronic acid, looks like egg white and is made by the
synovial membrane- joint lining)
The slipperiness of the cartilage allows the bones to move
against each other painlessly
2. Medial Meniscus
It is crescent shaped cartilage
It is attached to the tibia on the inside of the knee

3. Lateral Meniscus
Attached to the tibia on the outside of the knee
Muscles
-

Muscles are made of small musculus fibers

They are made of proteins which are in turn made of amino
acids
The muscles in the knee keep it stable and well aligned
They allow the knee to move

Muscles in the knee:

There are two main muscle groups in and around the knee:
1. The quadriceps is a group of 4 muscles on the front of the
thigh. They are responsible for straightening the knee.
2. The hamstrings are a group of 3 muscles in the back of the
thigh. They are responsible for bending the knee.