Why are our knees so prone to injury?
Unlike, for example, the hip joint, which is a ball and socket joint, the knee is a hinge joint.
The bottom of your thigh bone sits on top of the shin bone, and the joint is held together by ligaments and muscles that can easily be sprained and torn.
As well as being structurally less stable, the knee joint is also far more restricted as it can only move forwards and backwards with a very limited amount of twisting. The moment the knee is no longer aligned with the foot, it relies on the ligaments and muscles for stability – which can easily be pushed too far and cause injury.
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Asked by: Caitlin Byrne, Dublin
To submit your questions email us at questions@sciencefocus.com (don't forget to include your name and location)
Authors
Dr Nish Manek is a GP in London. She completed her medical degree at Imperial College and was runner-up in the University of London Gold Medal. Manek has also developed teaching courses for Oxford Medical School, and has penned articles for The Guardian and Pulse magazine.
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