Femur◦ Main upper leg bone (thigh bone)
Tibia◦ Main weight lower leg bone
Medial malleolus comes off of this Mensici sit on the tibia
Fibula◦ Non-weight bearing bone on the lateral aspect of
the leg Lateral malleolus comes off of this
Anatomy
Joint capsule ◦ Protects the ligaments inside
Peanut shell protecting the peanut inside Can sprain/injure the capsule
Cruciate Ligaments ◦ Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
Limits anterior movement of the tibia as well as rotation
◦ Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) Limits posterior movement of the tibia as well as
rotation◦ Both inside the joint capsule
Ligaments
Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL)◦ On the medial aspect of the knee
Prevents valgus force of the knee Most often sprained ligament
Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL)◦ On the lateral aspect of the knee
Prevents varus force of the knee More difficult to sprain than MCL
Meniscus◦ Help provide cushion for the joint◦ Fairly common to injure
Collateral Ligaments/Menisci
Standing, knee in about 30 degrees of flexion◦ Two anchors about mid-thigh◦ Two anchors about mid-calf◦ Create a fan (elastic tape)
Places one strip down center of joint Places one strip from anterior leg, crossing joint Places one strip from posterior leg, crossing joint
All pulling distal to proximal Anchor after every strip May need to repeat elastic tape strips, if not tight
enough
Collateral Ligament Taping
Standing-knee flexed to about 30 degrees◦ Two anchor strips mid-thigh◦ Two anchor strips mid-calf
Heel-lace pad in the popliteal fossa (prevents irritation)
◦ Elastic strip down the middle of the knee◦ Elastic strip from lateral knee crossing the joint◦ Elastic strip from medial knee crossing the joint
Anchor strips after each piece of tape Pull distal to proximal May need to repeat elastic strips to prevent
hyperextension
Knee Hyperextension
McConnell Tape Used to prevent excessive movement of the
patella◦ Very expensive tape◦ First must determine which way the patella is
moving Chose the correct taping method to correct the
problem
Place cover roll over the patella◦ Places a piece of leukotape over mid-patella and
pulls medially-to the femoral condyle◦ Places leukotape over lateral border of patella and
pulls medially to medial femoral condyle◦ Corrects any rotations that may be occurring
Place leukotape over mid-patella and pull to opposite shoulder of the rotation May not need to do this steps
Repeats any steps above if needed
McConnell Tape