What is the posterior knee area called?

What is the posterior knee area called?

popliteal fossa
The popliteal fossa (sometimes referred to as hough, or kneepit in analogy to the cubital fossa) is a shallow depression located at the back of the knee joint. The bones of the popliteal fossa are the femur and the tibia.

What is the large muscle behind the knee?

The gastrocnemius forms the posterior muscular wall of the knee and acts as a flexor of the knee and plantar flexor of the foot.

What is the largest knee flexor?

Gastrocnemius and Plantaris The gastrocnemius is a powerful two-headed muscle, well known for its ability to produce large plantar flexion torques across the ankle. Because this muscle crosses the posterior aspect of the knee, it is also a knee flexor.

What is the largest bone found in the knee?

femur
The femur (thigh bone) is the largest bone in the body and extends from the hip to the knee where it ends in structures known as condyles that are covered in cartilage.

What can cause posterior knee pain?

There is a large variety of potential causes of posterior knee pain. These include soft-tissue injuries, tendon injuries, vascular, and neurologic causes. Injuries to the soft-tissues and tendons are more common while neurologic and vascular injuries occur less frequently [18].

Whats at the back of the knee?

One tendon at the back of your knee is called the biceps femoris tendon. A tendon is a cord of strong fibrous tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone. The biceps femoris tendon attaches your hamstring muscle at the back of your thigh to your knee.

What is located behind the knee?

Hamstring: The prominent tendons at the back of the knee. They are the sidewalls of the hollow behind the knee. (This hollow is called the popliteal space). Both hamstrings connect to muscles that flex the knee.

What is the muscle under your knee called?

The popliteus is a muscle that runs diagonally across the back of the knee, underneath the hamstrings, from the lateral femur to the medial tibia. Its function is to “unlock” the knee by providing slight rotation at the knee as it moves between flexion and extension.

How many muscles flex the knee?

Three sets of muscles (popliteus, quadriceps and hamstrings) allow for movement, balance, and stability at the knee joint.

Does the gastrocnemius flex the knee?

The gastrocnemius is a biarticular muscle that acts not only as a plantar flexor, but also as a knee flexor, meaning that it is an antagonist during knee extension.

What are the two bones behind your knee?

The knee joint is where the tibia and femur meet. Running parallel to the tibia is the fibula, the thinner and weaker bone of the lower leg.

What’s the bone behind your knee?

The knee joins the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia). The smaller bone that runs alongside the tibia (fibula) and the kneecap (patella) are the other bones that make the knee joint.

What is posterior knee pain?

Posterior knee pain is pain at the back of the knee. Below we outline the most common causes of pain at the back of the knee, less common causes, as well as important conditions and injuries that should not be missed.

What is the anatomy of the knee?

The anatomy of the knee is important when evaluating posterior knee pain. There is a complicated network of muscles, ligaments, and other soft tissues around the knee that contributes to the structure and support of the joint. These include both passive and active stabilizers.

What is posterolateral corner of the knee?

The Posterolateral corner of the knee consists of a number of structures. It is a less common cause of pain at the back and outside of the knee. Symptoms can include any of the following: Pain and swelling at the back, and outside of your knee. Tenderness on the outside of your knee when pressing in.

What does pain at the back of the knee mean?

Pain at the back of the knee is known as posterior knee pain. Here we explain the common injuries which cause both sudden onset (acute) and gradual onset (chronic) knee pain.