Soft tissue injuries of the knee.

The knee joint The knee joint is a hinge type joint made up of the thigh bone (femur) and the shin bone (tibia). The knee joint has ligaments on the inside and the outside of the joint, (medial collateral ligament and lateral collateral ligament) and ligaments inside the joint itself, (anterior cruciate and posterior cruciate ligament). The joint surfaces are covered in cartilage and the cartilage in the knee is called the meniscus. The whole joint is surrounded by a sac called the capsule and this capsule is filled with fluid that lubricates the joint and provides it with nutrients. The hamstring muscles attach at the back of the knee and the quadriceps muscles attach at the front of the knee. Any of these structures can be injured in a soft tissue injury of the knee.