The knee is the largest and most complex joint in the body, holding together the thigh bone, shin bone, fibula (on the outer side of the shin), and kneecap.

It lies behind the knee joint. There are 2–9 lymph nodes within every popliteal fossa. The picture below shows swollen popliteal lymph nodes in the popliteal fossa.

Gentle stretching and other low impact exercises can strengthen the muscles that support your knee joint. Start by stretching your heel, calf, quadriceps, and hamstrings, and work up to half ...