Patient Education Center

Knee Pain and Injuries

Understanding Your Knee – Knowing how your knee works is critical part of injury recovery and pain management.

Knee anatomy

Your knee is made up of two main bones, the thigh bone, or femur, and lower leg bone, or tibia. These bones are held together by four main ligaments: the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), lateral collateral ligament (LCL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL). The meniscus is the rubbery cartilage that sits between these bones. When you step down, the meniscus acts as a shock absorber between the thigh bone, or femur, and the leg bone, or tibia. The bones come together to form a joint. It is at this joint that the bones move over one another to allow you to move about and move your body. At this joint the bones are lined with a hard substance called cartilage.

The patella is a disk shaped bone in the front of your knee. Your patella is attached to your tibia bone by a tendon called the patellar tendon. The kneecap also attaches to the quadriceps muscles which are the large muscles in the front of your thigh. The patellar tendon, quadriceps, and other soft tissue surround the patella in what we call a soft tissue envelope. Normally this soft tissue envelope is well balanced and strong allowing your knee to function without pain.

Normally your patella rides smoothly in a groove at the end of your thigh bone, or femur, when you bend and straighten your knee. The vastus medialis obliquus, or VMO, is important in maintaining this normal patellar movement and allowing balance of the soft tissue envelope around the patella. The movement of the patella in this groove at the end of the femur is called patellar tracking.

Knee Injuries/Conditions

The largest joint in the body, the knee is also one of the easiest to injure. Knee problems can be caused by trauma, particularly from sports; physiologic issues like misalignment; degeneration from conditions like osteoarthritis; or just plain overuse. To learn about some of the most common knee injuries and conditions, view the videos, below.

Knee Brace

Dicarre provides a wide range of knee brace to  help you get back to doing what you love. 

Learn more about Dicarre Knee products

Elbow/Wrist Pain and Injuries

Understanding Your Elbow and Wrist – Knowing how your joints work is critical part of injury recovery and pain management.

Elbow/Wrist Anatomy

The elbow joint is made up of the lower end of the upper arm bone, or humerus, and the upper ends of the two bones (the radius and the ulna) of the forearm. With your palm facing forward, the radius is on the outside of the forearm (on the thumb side) and the ulna is on the inside (or the ‘pinky’ side). At the place where they meet at the elbow joint, these bones are lined with a smooth type of cartilage which allows the bones to glide smoothly over one another during elbow motion.

The hand and wrist joint are made up of the following bone groups: the phalangeal bones of the fingers, the metacarpal bones of the hand, the carpal wrist bones, and the ends of each of the forearm bones which are called the radius and ulna.

Elbow/Wrist Conditions

The types of conditions most commonly affecting the elbow and wrist are overuse injuries. Tendonitis, which can occur in the elbow and wrist, is a frequent complaint. This condition can result from repetitive motion, like continually turning the wrist or hand gripping. Tendonitis is an inflammation of a tendon (connects muscle to bone) or bursa (a small, fluid-filled sac that acts as a cushion between bone and other moving parts).

The two most common types of tendonitis include: lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) which is an inflammation of the tendon on the side of the elbow away from the body; and medial epicondylitis (golfer’s elbow) which affects the side of the elbow that is toward the body. And, no surprise, these conditions occur more often as we get older.

Other types of injuries to the elbow and wrist include fractures, dislocations and arthritis.

Elbow/Wrist Therapy

Other non-surgical options to help manage pain and joint instability: cold therapy and rehabilitative exercises. Cold Therapy: Ranging from simple ice packs to motorized cold therapy (an insulated cooler with a pump and pads that deliver cold to specific joints), your doctor may suggest using cold therapy to reduce pain and swelling of an injured joint. All cold therapy, including ice, can be cold enough to damage your skin, so regardless of what kind of cold therapy you use, follow your doctor’s instructions.

Exercises for Joint Rehabilitation: Your doctor may recommend exercises to help enhance your recovery. This may include exercises for stretching to gradually increase range of motion, and strengthening to regain joint function.

Learn more about Dicarre Shoulder/Elbow  Wrist products