The bone structure of the knee joint is formed by the femur, the tibia, and the patella. The ACL is one of the four main ligaments within the knee that connect the femur to the tibia.
- (Left) Arthroscopic picture of the normal ACL.
- (Right) Arthroscopic picture of torn ACL [yellow star].
The knee is essentially a hinged joint that is held together by the medial collateral (MCL), lateral collateral (LCL), anterior cruciate (ACL) and posterior cruciate (PCL) ligaments. The ACL runs diagonally in the middle of the knee, preventing the tibia from sliding out in front of the femur, as well as providing rotational stability to the knee.
The weight-bearing surface of the knee is covered by a layer of articular cartilage. On either side of the joint, between the cartilage surfaces of the femur and tibia, are the medial meniscus and lateral meniscus. The menisci act as shock absorbers and work with the cartilage to reduce the stresses between the tibia and the femur.
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My Mother is 80 years young with terrible arthritis in knees, hips hands shoulders etc..she is suppose to get her knee operated on but she is so weak I am concerned about her recovery…Her knee is totally shot…Is this a good idea at this stage of life…I am afraid she will be bed ridden after this..
By: Deanna on January 10, 2012
at 8:22 am
Hi Deanna,
Although I am not a physician and cannot recommend any procedure out of experience, I know that at an old age, joint pain and illness related to arthritis must be reported to your local primary care provider who in turn will probably refer the patient to a good rheumatologist and/or orthopedic surgeon. I know a lady in her late 70′s who had similar knee conditions and who got both knees replaced with surgery and is now doing substantially better as far as pain and endurance with normal daily activities. Please encourage your Mom to address the issue with her doctor. I think seeing a joint specialist in this case might be the most important step in dealing with this issue. Best of luck, keep us posted. AE
By: Amin Etemad on January 10, 2012
at 8:30 am