With the given information about the blow to the tibial tuberosity causing displacement of the tibia posteriorly relative to the femur, the structure most likely injured is the posterior cruciate ligament because it is located on the posterior side of the patella and posterior displacement of the tibia on fixed femur is restricted by the posterior cruciate ligament. The posterior cruciate ligament is the strongest ligament in the knee joint and helps with stability. Once the posterior cruciate ligament is torn or stretched, it loses its stability. There are many ligaments that make up the knee joint, also known as a hinge type joint which perform tasks such as flexion and extension. The tibiofemoral and patellofemoral are joints of the knee which aid in flexion and extension of the knee. The tibiofemoral joint adds angle and assists with knee extension. The patellar ligament is inferior to the patella and located on the anterior surface of the tibial tuberosity. The tibial collateral ligament attaches to the medial meniscus and the fibular collateral ligament attaches to the lateral meniscus allowing them to both flex and extend. The posterior cruciate ligament and anterior cruciate ligament are limited by anterior and posterior translation. The lateral and medial meniscus are shock absorbers and stabilizers that absorb 40% of our body weight (Drake, Mitchell, & Vogl, 2012).
In order for the leg and foot to start turning a bluish color, the popliteal artery would have to be pinched or clamped off causing the patient to lose blood supply to his lower limbs. The normal blood flow goes femoral artery, turns into the popliteal artery and then …show more content…
L., Mitchell, A. W., & Vogl, A. W. (2012). Gray's Basic Anatomy. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.
"Leg or Foot Amputation." Medline Plus. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 21 Oct. 2015. Web. 28 Oct. 2015.