Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome In Asheboro, North Carolina
Patellofemoral pain is sometimes called Runners Knee
, but others in the Asheboro NC area who experience pain around the front of the knee include cyclists, skiers, jumpers, and soccer players. Causes of patellofemoral pain syndrome include misalignment, cartilage damage from over- use, chronic knee cap dislocation, anatomic anomalies in knee, hip, or feet, and normal wear and tear of aging.
How the knee works
The patella, or knee cap, is the little roundish bone in front of your knee joint where the femur, or thigh bone, and tibia, or shinbone, meet. This bone protects your knee and connects the thigh muscles to the shin bone.
The knee cap rests above a groove on the thigh bone called the femoral groove, and slides up and down the center of the groove as you bend and straighten your leg. Thigh quadricep muscles guide the knee cap as it slides, working with the tendons below your knee cap to allow for stable movement.
How well the knee cap and the femoral groove fit together, and how evenly thigh quadriceps and shinbone tendons operate, are equally important to knee stability.
Common knee complaints
Underlying causes for patellofemoral pain are wide and varied, but symptoms are similar:
o a dull ache under and around the kneecap, where it connects to the thighbone
o weakness
o swelling
o pain walking up or down stairs and inclines, kneeling, squatting or sitting for long periods of time.
How do orthopedic doctors diagnose patellofemoral pain?
First, a physical examination assesses the strength, alignment, and mobility of the knee joint. Next, an examination of lower leg, hips, thigh muscles, hamstrings, and feet will be performed X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are sometimes used to eliminate reasons other than misalignment for your patellofemoral pain, such as fractures, ligament tears, cartilage breakdown, or arthritis.
Most patellar dislocations are lateral
If you hold out your leg and reach down to touch your knee cap, you can probably move it a bit from side to side. This is normal. As you bend your knee, you may notice the patella no longer moves side to side easily, because it is functioning well inside the femoral groove.
Except for injuries from a fall or other trauma to the knee, most dislocations happen while the leg is in a relatively straight position. Most dislocations happen when the knee cap slides out of the femoral groove toward the outside, or lateral side, of the leg. Only on rare occasions will you see it dislocate to the inside (medially).
Does patellofemoral pain always mean surgery?
Most sufferers of patellofemoral pain are treated successfully by non-surgical measures, the favored option of orthopedic doctors. These measures may include rest and restructuring of your activities, physical therapy to build up supporting muscle groups, wearing a brace or shoe inserts, and taking anti-inflammatory medicine.
If these measures do not alleviate your patellofemoral pain or decrease the incidence of knee dislocations, contact the orthopedic surgeons in Asheboro NC to discuss whether surgery is indicated.
What is lateral release of the knee?
Lateral release of the knee is one of several surgical procedures orthopedic surgeons use to correct patellofemoral pain. This lateral release of the knee will allow the knee cap to shift back to its normal position relative to the femoral groove, and relieve pressure on cartilage behind the knee cap.
In this procedure, the tight tissue on the outside, the lateral side, of the knee cap is cut, or released, to allow the patella to slide more towards the center of the femoral groove. As the cut tissues eventually heal, quadricep muscle can work in a more balanced way. Also, during a lateral release of the knee procedure, orthopedic doctors may be able to repair torn or worn cartilage, which can cause further complications later on.
What is recovery like after lateral release of the knee surgery?
Orthopedic surgeons often perform lateral release of the knee arthroscopically, which provides for smaller incisions and less damage to surrounding muscle and other soft tissue. This minimally-invasive technique can help shorten the healing process.
Initial post-surgery physical therapy treatments prescribed by orthopedic surgeons are designed to control pain and swelling from the surgery, while allowing your knee to heal properly. Slowly, your therapy will help strengthen your thigh muscles and improve knee motion. The goal in post-surgery rehabilitation is to keep pain under control while safely stretching and strengthening muscles and ligaments so that your knee can return to full function.
Patellofemoral pain doesn't have to keep you from enjoying life. Consult orthopedic doctors in Asheboro NC for an examination to see how your knee pain can be helped.
by: Shirley G. Dudley
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