Knee

Tendons

• Patellar tendon

  The band below the kneecap that joins it to the shin bone and carries the thigh muscles' pull. How it bears load, how it gets painful or tears, how it adapts, and what it works with.

• Quadriceps tendon

  The tendon just above the kneecap that joins the four thigh muscles to it. How it is built in layers, how it carries load as the knee bends, how it gets painful or tears, and what it works with.

Ligaments

• Anterior cruciate ligament

  The ligament inside the knee that stops the shinbone sliding forward. How it is built, how and in whom it tears, why it heals poorly, and which muscles load or unload it.

• Lateral collateral ligament

  The cord-like ligament on the outer side of the knee, from the thigh bone to the fibula. What it holds back, how and in whom it is injured, and what studies found about recovery.

• Medial collateral ligament

  The broad band on the inner side of the knee that holds it against inward-pushing and twisting forces. How it is built, how and in whom it is injured, and what studies report about how it heals.

• Medial patellofemoral ligament

  The thin band on the inner side of the knee that holds the kneecap against outward pull. Where it attaches, how much it restrains, how it tears in a dislocation, and what studies report after a tear.

• Posterior cruciate ligament

  The largest ligament in the knee, which stops the shinbone sliding backwards. How it is built, how it gets torn, how often it heals on its own, and what it works with.

Cartilage & fascia

• Articular cartilage

  The thin, smooth layer that covers the ends of bones in a joint. What it is made of, how it carries load, how it gets damaged, why it heals slowly, and how it responds to use.

• Menisci of the knee

  The two C-shaped pads of fibrocartilage between the thigh bone and shinbone. What they are made of, how they spread load, who tears them, and what studies found about how they heal.

Bones

• Patella

  The kneecap, a bone that sits inside the tendon at the front of the knee. How it slides on the thigh bone and carries load, how it breaks or slips out of place, and how bone responds to use.

Joints

• Knee joint

  The joint where the thigh bone, shin bone and kneecap meet. How it bends and locks, what holds it together, how it gets injured or wears, what studies found about recovery, and what crosses it.

Exercises

• Box jump

  A jump up and forward onto a box. What the few box jump studies measured at take-off and landing, what jumps from the ground show about the muscles and tendons, and what injury surveys reported.

• Decline squat

  A squat, most often on one leg, done on a sloped board. What studies measured it loading, from the patellar tendon to the thigh and calf muscles, and what training and trials in people with patellar tendon pain found.

• Drop landing

  Stepping off a platform and landing, as in drop landings and drop jumps. What studies measured it loading, from the thigh muscles to the knee and ankle ligaments, and what landing tests have and have not predicted.

• Single-leg squat

  A squat on one leg. What studies measured it loading, from the buttock muscles to the kneecap joint and the ACL, and what it showed when used as a test of how the knee moves.

Conditions

• ACL tear

  A tear of the anterior cruciate ligament inside the knee. How reviews and guidelines describe it, who it affects, how it changes over time, and what trials comparing surgery with an exercise programme found.

• Iliotibial band syndrome

  A common cause of pain on the outer side of the knee in runners and cyclists. How reviews define it, who it affects, and what studies of its course, of exercise, injections and surgery found.

• Knee osteoarthritis

  A long-term disease of the knee joint, in which the cartilage lining the joint wears away. How guidelines define it, who it affects, how it changes over time, and what trials of exercise, weight loss and surgery found.

• Meniscus tear

  A tear or degenerative split in one of the two cartilage pads inside the knee. How consensus reports define it, who it affects, and what trials comparing surgery with exercise found.

• Osgood-Schlatter disease

  Pain at the bony bump below the knee where the patellar ligament attaches, in growing children and teenagers. How reviews define it, who studies found it in, how it changes over the years, and what trials and reviews found.

• Patellar dislocation

  The kneecap coming fully out of its groove on the thigh bone. How a European consensus defines it, who it affects, how often it happens again, and what trials of surgery, braces and exercise found.

• Patellofemoral pain

  Pain around or behind the kneecap, also called runner's knee. How consensus statements define it, who it affects, how it changes over time, and what trials of exercise, foot orthoses, taping and surgery found.

Exercises that load this area

Filed under another area, but connected to an entry here.

• Back squat

  A barbell squat. What the studies measured it loading, how bar position, stance and depth shift the work, and how muscles changed with training.

• Burpee

  A bodyweight move from standing to a squat, a plank and back up, often with a push-up and a jump. What studies measured of its demand, what burpee training trials found, and how thin the evidence on its muscles is.

• Copenhagen adductor plank

  A side-lying hold or lift with the top leg resting on a support, which works the inner thigh muscles. What studies measured it loading, how the lever changes the work, and what training changed.

• Deadlift

  A lift driven by the muscles that straighten the hip, knee and back. What the studies measured it loading, from the back and thigh muscles to the lower spine, and what is known about how the body adapts.

• Good morning

  A barbell exercise that bends the body forward at the hips with the bar across the upper back. What small studies measured it loading with straighter and more bent knees, and what models estimate for the lower spine.

• Lunge

  The forward, reverse and walking lunge. What studies measured them loading at the hip and knee, how step length, trunk lean and added weight shift the work, and what training studies found.

• Pogo hops

  Repeated two-legged hops with nearly straight knees and short ground contacts. What hopping studies measured at the ankle, calf muscles, Achilles tendon and foot, and what hopping programmes changed.

• Power clean

  A barbell lift pulled fast from low down to the shoulders. What studies measured it loading, which loads gave the most power, how training with it changed people, and what weightlifting injury studies report.

• Running

  Steady distance running. Which muscles studies found doing the work, what models estimate it loads from the foot to the knee, and what reviews found on foot strike, shoes, training load, progression and injury.

• Side-lying hip abduction

  An exercise that moves the thigh out to the side while lying on one side. What studies measured it working, from the gluteus medius and minimus to the muscles that share the work, and how the clamshell compares.

• Split squat

  A squat with the feet fixed in a stride, often with the rear foot raised on a bench. What studies measured at the hip, knee and thigh muscles, how each leg shares the work, and what short training trials found.

• Step-up

  Stepping up onto a box or bench, one leg at a time. What studies measured it loading, how step height and added weight change the work, and what training with it changed.

• Wall sit

  A squat position held still, also studied as the wall squat. What studies measured it working, from thigh and buttock muscles to a knee ligament, and how blood pressure studies progressed it by knee angle, holds and sessions.