MOA Blog

About The Knee

The knee is a complex joint that joins the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone). The fibula (the other bone in the lower leg) and the patella (knee cap) are the other bones that comprise the knee joint. 

In addition to being complex, the joint is the largest in the body. It’s supported by ligaments that stabilize the knee and join the bones and tendons that connect muscles to bones. The knee is a modified hinge joint with a wide range of motion, primarily flexion, and extension. It’s essential to carry the body's weight when walking, running, and jumping.

Knee pain is a common problem that affects people of all ages. Because the knee is so complex, several injuries are common to the joint. These injuries can occur over time, during sporting events or other activities.

Not having the ability to play with your grandchildren or walk through the garden because of knee pain can be tough and discouraging.

At Mountainstate Orthopedic Associates, we can help you get back on track to doing the things you love and being with the people you care about.

Read on for more information about knee replacements.

Daniel Wassick’s Story 

Taking care of horses can be a grueling job. One needs a lot of flexibility and mobility to be able to keep up with them.  For Daniel, his knee pain caused him to deprive his horses of the proper care they needed.  He knew he had to make a difficult decision regarding knee replacement surgery.

Wally Dittman:  A Patient's Road to Recovery

As we all can imagine, being in any branch of the military would be draining physically.  Your body goes through a lot of ups and downs, and that was exactly the the case for Wally Dittman.  Wally joined the Army in 1968 and spent a lot of his time jumping out of helicopters that were 12-15 feet in the air with 95-pound sacks on his back. This kind of activity will eventually start to cause damage to your knees and legs 

Flash forward to when he spent 35 years in the coal mines crawling on knees that weren’t 100% to begin with. Unfortunately, his knee pain was enough to make him retire.