The knee joints are the major weight-bearing joints in a person's body and are quite prone to injury. Strengthening the bones, muscles and connective tissues of the knees can help decrease a person's risk of injuring her knees. Such exercises...
Tendons are tough bands of inelastic fibrous tissue that connect muscle to bone. Every movement in the body depends on the ability of tendons to stretch and retract on demand. Tendons create motion. Tendons are not to be confused with ligaments,...
The quadriceps femoris, more commonly referred to as the quadriceps or quads, is a group of four muscles at the front of the thigh. Individually, the muscles are called the rectus femoris, the vastus lateralis, the vastus medialis and the vastus...
Patellar tendinitis is more commonly known as jumper's knee, because it often results from sports that require a lot of jumping, such as basketball and volleyball. The patella tendon is the thick band of tissue that connects the kneecap to the...
Quadriceps tendon ruptures are particularly common in individuals older than age 40. If you tear your quadriceps tendon, you should immediately stop running or putting other strain on the tendon and seek medical treatment as soon as possible. If...
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a support structure in the knee that prevents the forward and backward movement of the bones of the knee. It is often injured in athletic activities or during traumas such as motor vehicle accidents. The...
The patella tendon connects the knee cap to the front of the tibia. The main function of the patella tendon is to act as a lever arm for the quadriceps. The patella tendon is prone to rupturing in individuals with a history of patella tendon...
A torn anterior cruciate ligament can result in an unstable knee. Depending on symptoms and activity, the surgeon may present several options to repair or replace a torn ACL. The replacement options include using the patient's knee tendons or...
Tendons are among the many structures that play an important role in the movement of the knee joint. The tendons of the knee are named for the muscles they attach or the location from which the muscles originate. The tendons of the knee joint...
Your hamstrings serve multiple roles in daily life, including helping with your posture and aiding in pulling your leg back every time you take a step. These muscles also serve multiple purposes when squatting. A good squat requires strong...
Tendons are fibrous tissues that connect muscles to bones, facilitating mechanical movement at a joint. The patella tendon, which links the quadriceps and patella to the tibia or shin bone, transfers the force generated by contraction of the...
Joint replacement surgery has enhanced the quality of life for many people who suffer from advanced arthritis, says the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The knee joint proves one of the most frequently replaced joints in the human body,...
The knee is a simple hinge-type joint that is responsible for bending and extending the lower leg. This joint allows us to carry out everyday functions such as walking and running, in addition to high-level activities such as kicking, jumping and...
Your quadriceps are located on the front of your thigh. Their job is to extend your knee and flex your hip. They are made up from four muscles: rectus femoris, vastas lateralis, vastas intermedialis and vastas medialis. These four muscles share a...
Your anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is one of the four ligaments that connect the bones in your knee joints. The ACL is also one of the most injured ligaments in the knee. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, an estimated...
A direct blow to the knee can cause the kneecap (patella) to break. The resulting muscle pull of the quadriceps (thigh) muscle can cause the pieces to pull apart. Another possibility is that these forces will act in concert. Falling causes you to...
Patellar tendonitis is an inflammation of the quadriceps tendon. A tendon is the attachment of the muscle to the bone; the suffix "itis" refers to inflammation. Repetitive activity is often behind inflammation of the patellar tendon. Stretching...
Although sprinting is an activity that can provide you with health benefits, it is also intense enough to trigger injuries. If you feel pain in your quadriceps, it could be the result of a potentially serious injury. For this reason, you should...
The vastus medialis muscle is one of four quadriceps muscles. It is located on the inner part of the front of the thigh. It attaches to the medial aspect of the femur and runs along the inner front down to the base of the patella, or kneecap, via...
The large muscles of the front of the leg are called the quadriceps, or quads for short. The quads are primary movers of the knee and it is easy to develop problems arising from repetitive motion or alignment problems. Quadriceps tendonitis...
The Stairmaster is a popular cardiovascular exercise machine that uses the lower body muscles. Climbing stairs, either by using a machine like a Stairmaster or by walking on actual stairs, is an effective calorie burner and also provides muscles...
During walking and stair climbing the force across the knee joint is three to four times body weight. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons estimates the force between the knee-cap and femur is one-half body weight with walking and seven...
Your patella, or kneecap, is a floating bone that slides up and down a groove at the end of your femur as you bend your knee. Your kneecap is designed to fit in the center of this groove. Sometimes, either after overuse or by injury, the patella...
The knee joint is stabilized by several ligaments and muscles. The anterior (front) of the knee joint is covered by the kneecap, also called the patella, which floats inside the tendon and attaches the quadriceps to the lower leg. The front of the...
Tendons, also called sinews, are strong pieces of fiber that connect muscles to bones. They are similar to ligaments, which connect bones to bones. Tendons are made from collagen, and feel like tight ropes under your skin.
You cannot have a powerful and balanced physique without training and developing your legs. Your hips and legs are the largest muscles in your body, and greatly contribute to your overall strength, power, and athleticism. You need to train both...
Ligaments are strong threads of connective tissue that link bone to bone. Four ligaments connect your femur, or thigh bone, to your tibia, or shinbone. Excessive force to your knee might tear one or more of these ligaments, necessitating a long...
The repeated stress that you place on your knee as you jog can lead to a wide variety of knee injuries. Anterior knee pain, which originates from the front of the knee, is often characterized as patellafemoral pain and can include conditions such...
A tendon is a tough fibrous tissue that connects muscle to bone. Tendons can withstand a lot of stress, tension and force. The quadriceps tendon is the largest tendon and one of the most important tendons in the human body. The quadriceps...
