The knee joint takes on a lot of stress during sports and during our lifetime in general. It not as constrained as the hip or ankle, and has more components including two ligament in the center (ACL and PCL) and two cartilage rings (medial and lateral menisci), in addition to ligaments on the sides (MCL and LCL).
Furthermore, there are 3 essentially separate compartments: medial, lateral and patellofemoral (knee cap), each with cartilage surfaces. The knee therefore sees stress in rotation/twisting/pivoting, forwards and backwards, bending and extending, side to side and compression. It takes a toll over our lifetime and can breakdown in any of these areas. This can be simply from the repetitive wear and tear, or from an acute injury. Stress the knee in the right combination of directions and you can tear any of these structures.
The knee is also the second to lowest joint, which means it sees more stresses than higher up joints, especially with running and jumping activities. Also, because athletes are in general stronger now, the force of impact either by another player or even during non-contact injuries may be greater than previously experienced.
Lastly, the fact that organized sports are started much earlier and played more year round than ever before, combined with the increased number of participants, increases the incidence of knee injuries.
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Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.