No one expects to wear the same footwear for every kind of work. After all, different shoes are designed for rough surfaces, slippery surfaces, finished flooring, construction sites, carpeting, etc. The same thing applies to “shoes” for our knees (more on that later).
The largest joints in our body are complex ones where the three main bones of the leg (femur, tibia, and fibula) meet and are protected by the kneecap (patella). Large ligaments hold each knee together, and tendons attached to the bones allow muscles to extend and flex the lower leg. Cartilage lubricates the movement of the bones where they meet and cushion the knee, along with fluid-filled sacs called bursa.