Tibial collateral ligament

The joints of the human body are connected by ligaments, which allow them to contract and relax freely when the joints move. The tibial collateral ligament is located on the back of the knee joint. It is shaped like a shoulder pole and can effectively prevent damage to the meniscus when the knee joint is straightened and bent. The most common disease of the tibial collateral ligament is injury. Friends who exercise regularly can learn about the relevant introduction and common diseases of the tibial collateral ligament.

1. Tibial collateral ligament

The tibial collateral ligament is a wide, flat bundle located on the inner and posterior part of the knee joint. It originates from the upper inner side of the femur and attaches downward to the medial condyle of the tibia and adjacent bones, and is tightly integrated with the joint capsule and medial meniscus. The tibial collateral ligament and the fibular collateral ligament are tense when the knee is extended and loose when the knee is flexed. They are most relaxed when the knee is half-flexed. Therefore, a small amount of internal and external rotation of the knee joint is allowed in the semi-flexed knee position.

II. Overview

The anterior fibers are straighter and separated from the joint capsule wall, with loose connective tissue and synovial bursa in between. The semimembranosus tendon extends between this ligament and the tibia, and the middle and lower knee blood vessels pass between this extended part and the ligament. Its posterior fibers run obliquely downward and backward, and then extend obliquely forward to the tibia at the level of the medial meniscus. Therefore, the posterior ligament is wide in the middle and is tightly connected to the joint capsule and meniscus. The anterior fibers of the tibial collateral ligament are in a tense state at any position of the knee joint, while the posterior fibers relax when the knee is flexed. Since the posterior fibers are connected to the medial meniscus, the tibial collateral ligament and medial meniscus are prone to injury when the knee joint is in a semi-flexed state and subjected to rotational force.

3. Common diseases of the tibial collateral ligament

1. Tibial collateral ligament injury

Injury to the collateral ligament of the knee is usually caused by a direct blow or a sudden fall with the knee flexed and rotated. In mild cases, there is partial injury; in severe cases, there may be complete rupture or accompanied by damage to the meniscus or cruciate ligament. If not diagnosed and treated in time, it will seriously affect joint function. This disease generally has a history of obvious trauma. When injured, a sound of ligament rupture can be heard, and the patient will soon be unable to continue exercising or working due to severe pain. There will be severe pain, swelling, and sometimes bruising on the injured side of the knee, and the knee joint cannot be fully straightened. This disease generally has a history of obvious trauma. When injured, a sound of ligament rupture can be heard, and the patient soon cannot continue to exercise or work due to severe pain. There is local severe pain and swelling on the injured side of the knee, and sometimes there are bruises. The knee joint cannot be fully straightened, and there is obvious tenderness at the injured ligament. When the medial collateral ligament is injured, the tenderness point is often at the lower edge of the medial epicondyle of the femur or the medial condyle of the tibia; when the lateral ligament is injured, the tenderness point is at the lateral epicondyle of the femur or the head of the fibula.