What is the posterior knee area called?

Popliteal fossa
The popliteal fossa (sometimes referred to as hough, or kneepit in analogy to the cubital fossa) is a shallow depression located at the back of the knee joint.

What muscle is behind the back of the knee?

The popliteus is a small triangular muscle located at the back of your knee. It originates from your outer thigh bone (femur) and your meniscus and attaches to the back of your lower leg bone (tibia). Though it’s small in size, it has a huge role in knee function!

Where is the posterolateral part of the knee?

Located on the outside of the knee joint, the posterolateral corner (PLC) of the knee functions to stabilize the knee against direct lateral or external forces. Injuries that occur to this area are often due to a sports impact injury – from sports like – football, soccer skiing and basketball.

What does posterior knee pain indicate?

There is a large variety of potential causes of posterior knee pain. These include soft-tissue injuries, tendon injuries, vascular, and neurologic causes. Injuries to the soft-tissues and tendons are more common while neurologic and vascular injuries occur less frequently [18].

What ligaments are behind the knee?

They are:

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). This ligament is in the center of the knee.
• Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). This ligament is in the back of the knee.
• Medial collateral ligament (MCL). This ligament gives stability to the inner knee.
• Lateral collateral ligament (LCL).

What causes pain behind the knee on back of leg?

Some of the most common causes of pain behind the knee (posterior knee pain) include, Baker’s cyst, arthritis, infection, injury, tumor, or deep vein thrombosis.

What causes pain at the back of the leg behind the knee?

Why does the muscle behind my knee hurt?

There are various causes. Your knee joint can wear down as you get older, or you might injure your knee and tear the ligament or cartilage in it. Two common conditions that cause pain behind the knee are a posterior cruciate ligament injury and a popliteal cyst (Baker’s cyst).

What is in the posterolateral corner of the knee?

Specific components of the posterolateral corner that can be identified on MRI, albeit with some variability, are the biceps femoris tendon, the fibular collateral ligament, the popliteus musculotendinous complex including the popliteofibular ligament, the fabellofibular ligament, and the arcuate ligament.

What are the structures in the posterolateral corner?

The three primary stabilizers of the posterolateral corner are the fibular collateral ligament (FCL), the popliteus tendon, and the popliteofibular ligament. Also pictured are the lateral gastrocnemius tendon and the lateral meniscus.

What causes pain on back of leg behind knee?

Osteoarthritis is a common cause of pain behind the knee. Typically, arthritis causes bone spurs leading to inflammation at the back of the knee. Often, you feel tight and restricted in the movement of the knee joint. Generally, the best form of treatment for knee arthritis is exercise and load management.

How do you fix posterior knee pain?

Tips for quick relief

1. Rest the knee until it heals.
2. Hold ice on it for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day.
3. Wear a compression bandage to support the knee, but make sure it’s not too tight.
4. Elevate the injured knee on a pillow or several pillows.
5. Use crutches or a cane to take weight off the knee.