Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is most known as the runner’s knee. It is a condition frequently presented in teenagers and young adults. It consists of soreness around the kneecaps. Despite being called runner’s knee this condition is not exclusive to runners, people who practice other sports especially those that include walking, jumping, crouching, and others where there is a risk of overusing the knees. Its name is rather because this is one of the most common injuries in athletes.

As mentioned, the overuse of knees is the main cause of this issue but why exactly does it happen?

This issue happens in one of the articulations of the knee joint; the patellofemoral articulation which as other joint structures is formed by bones, ligaments, and nerves. The patellofemoral compartment is where the kneecap, which is the front part of the knee links with the femur, also known as the thighbone. These bones are covered by soft tissues which protect the bones and allow smooth movement of the knee avoiding friction between the bones and helping cushion them while bearing weight.

Knowing how this articulation is structured, we can identify some main causes of patellofemoral pain:

• As we mentioned, one of the most common causes is the overuse of the knee. This can happen due to intense physical activity where pressure is being constantly applied to the knee. Some examples of these include kneeling, crouching, running, jumping, climbing, and others. Besides intense training, some related factors include changing drastically the intensity of physical training, using the wrong training technique, and using the incorrect training shoes.
• The misaligned kneecap, where the kneecap is pushed to one side of the trochlear groove when it is flexed. Due to this imbalance, more pressure is applied on some points of the knee, affecting the soft tissues, and causing pain.
• Some other factors include muscle imbalance, injuries, and surgeries.

Symptoms

As its name indicates, the main symptom of patellofemoral pain syndrome is the appearance of pain in the frontal part of the knee or around the kneecap, especially when doing activities that apply pressure on the knee, such as going up or downstairs, squatting, crouching and others. Along with the soreness, there is a sensation of stiffness which makes it difficult to extend the knee properly. Additionally, patients with this condition can also feel other kinds of discomfort such as cracking or burning sensations.

Treatment

In most cases, patellofemoral pain can be treated without surgery. Anti-inflammatory medicine is helpful in reducing the swelling and the pain temporarily. During the recovery process, conditioning the muscles will be key. Additionally, physiotherapy can also contribute to help reduce muscle imbalance and to treat the pain.

Orthopedic Corner | Leon Mead MD Orthopedic Doctor | 730 Goodlette Road North, Suite 201  Naples Florida 34102 | Phone: (239) 262-1119