Joints are the point in a skeleton where two or more bones meet. They allow for movement between the bones, and they make up a large part of a person's skeleton. There are many different types of joints in the human body, but today we're focusing on the knee joint. The knee joint is also called a "dumb" joint because it doesn't have any nerves that transmit information from our brain to our muscles. In other words, it can't feel anything. Because there are no nerve cells at the knee joint, it will keep moving even if there is an injury or some other problem with it. This means that injuries to the knee joint are very common! Read on to learn about this amazing mechanical marvel.

You probably know that the knee joint is called a “dumb” or "knocked-knee" joint because it doesn't articulate like other joints. (An articulate is to move two bones together). It's not really dumb, but it does make your knees knock together as you walk. The knee is a hinge joint, with the upper leg bone (femur) and lower leg bone (tibia) meeting at the kneecap. This allows your foot to swing from side-to-side as you walk. Your quadriceps muscles on top of your thighs help control this movement, but they don't hold the lower leg in place so there is a lot of give in the knee joint itself.

Section 1:The knee joint is called a "dumb" or "knocked-knee" joint because it doesn't articulate like other joints.

The Knee Joint Is The Crucial Center Of Mobility, Strain, and Muscle Decline In An Aging Human  An increase in the number of older people living to an advanced age results in an increase in the loss of strength in the knee and hip and a reduction in the range of motion. Some people lose 50% or more of the mobility in the knee and hip, making it difficult to climb stairs or climb up and down from chairs or beds. The knee joint is critical in most of the movements of walking and jumping, but it's not the only joint affected. The hip joint and ankle joint also become increasingly affected with age.

The knee is a hinge joint, with the upper leg bone (femur) and lower leg bone (tibia) meeting at the kneecap.

Since the knees meet at the kneecap, a person sitting in a chair, with their knees bent forward, will have their feet on the floor and their knees bending in towards the torso (conventionally known as arched knees). The knees continue to bend as the knee goes back, and the knees continue to bend until you start to stand up. It's similar for standing up or standing from a sitting position, but the knees are in a more contracted position.  Why does the knee joint make the sound it makes?  Your brain plays a role in telling your muscles to move the knee as you move. This mechanism is called kinesthetic awareness, and the brain sends sensory signals to the muscles that control your knee joints to tell them how to move, based on how much weight you are putting on the knee.

This allows your foot to swing from side-to-side as you walk. Your quadriceps muscles on top of your thighs help control this movement, but they don't hold the lower leg in place so there is a lot of give in the knee joint itself.

In some people (like me), if you make a sudden movement such as going up or down stairs, you can easily make the knee joint dislocate. I know a lot of people who have had knee injuries from running, biking, skiing, dancing, soccer and other sports. I've had back and neck injuries from horseback riding and I fell and broke my leg in three places riding a horse. My next surgery will be to get them all fixed.  No matter what you do, the knee joint should not twist in your body. That's why some people have a knee sprain if they hop from one leg to the other, but a sprain doesn't happen when you move your knee in a circle in a more general motion. If you twist your knee, it can do a lot of damage.  I believe that I'm losing my movement control of my right knee because I started using a cane.

What does it mean when we say that the knee is called a “dumb”

To call your kneecap a dumb joint is like saying the head of the right foot is a "dumb" foot. It doesn't mean the foot is faulty or in any way inferior, it means that the foot doesn't possess the articulation (flexion and extension) of other joints. The knee joint has no hip joint like the ankles and the feet do.  All of the bones in your lower leg and thigh are joined together by long ligaments. These ligaments are wrapped around and contain the small joints of the thigh, ankle, and foot. These tiny joints allow your foot to move about without locking into a certain position. That's the flexibility of your knee joint! Your foot doesn't swing around like a ballerina's, it's all elbows and knees.

FAQs

Why is knee joint a unique joint?

The motion of knee joint is restricted by the anatomy of bones and ligaments but allows a flexion of 120 degrees. One of the special characteristics of knee joint that differentiates it from the hinge joint is that it allows some degree of lateral and medial rotation when it is moderately flexed.

Why is a knee joint is known as the most complex joint?

A knee joint is known as the most complex joint because it joints the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia).

Is movement possible without a knee joint?

Though the kneecap is not needed for walking or even bending your leg, but, it makes your muscles more efficient amd absorbs much of the stress between the upper and lower portions of your leg.