The part from the knee down is in the region of the lower extremity, also known as the leg, it begins where the knee or patella ends and ends where the ankle begins; The leg is made up of the following structures.
Tibia
The tibia is a long bone which is also known as the shin, this is the longest bone in the leg. This protrudes and can easily be felt, it is very common to accidentally hit us in this area. The tibia is of the utmost importance since this bone supports the greatest weight of the leg, in addition it articulates directly with the knee and with the ankle joint, thanks to the tibia movement in the leg is possible.
Fibula
The fibula is a long bone that lies laterally of the tibia, it is also known as the fibula, this bone is smaller and thinner compared to the tibia, and it influences the movement of the leg and this is of paramount importance with the joint of the ankle.
leg muscles
The leg is made up of three main groups:
Anterior muscles.
These are made up of the muscles: tibialis anterior, long extensor of the fingers, third fibular and long extensor of the big toe, thanks to these muscles dorsiflexion is performed.
posterior muscles.
They are made up of two layers, superficial and deep.
The superficial layer is composed of the gastrocnemius plantaris and soleus muscles.
The deep layer is made up of the muscles: tibialis posterior, flexor hallucis longus, popliteus, and flexor digitorum longus.
Plantar flexion is performed by the posterior muscles.
Side muscles.
These are made up of the long fibular muscle and the short fibular muscle.
Diseases that endanger health in the legs
The legs are a fundamental part of our body, since without them, it is very difficult to move from one place to another, it is easier to deal with the lack of an upper limb than the lack of a lower limb . At present there are many chronic diseases that put the integrity of the legs at risk, in the worst case, these diseases can trigger an amputation . That is why we must prevent by having a good diet, and exercising because diseases can occur at any time.
Some diseases and injuries that put leg health at risk are:
Type 2 diabetes
vascular problems
Osteosarcoma (Bone Cancer)
Exposed fracture that became contaminated
atherosclerosis
Thrombosis after surgery
At the foot clinic in Puebla Mediprax Footlab we mostly work with patients who suffered amputation due to type 2 diabetes; Our patients have something in common, when they tell us their story and explain how they came to suffer from this disease, most agree that they did not eat a good diet, did not exercise, simply the style they followed was not the healthiest.
What to do when losing a leg?
On some occasions when the disease or injury is impossible to heal and puts the patient’s life at risk, a very complicated decision is made, losing a lower extremity or allowing the infection or disease to progress and could end with the person’s death. affected.
This is why people decide to continue their lives with an amputation , however, it is not impossible to resume activities of daily living, adversities are present of course, but it is possible to face and overcome it. The first thing to do when an amputation has been suffered is to take care of the stump since it must take a conical shape for the use of a prosthesis .
