Download PATELLOFEMORAL JOINT PAIN/PATELLA MALTRACKING PAIN

PATELLOFEMORAL JOINT PAIN/PATELLA MALTRACKING PAIN
Patellofemoral joint (PFJ) pain is a condition that involves the structures of the knee joint.
The bones involved include the thigh bone, the shin bone and more specifically the kneecap
(patella).
When you are diagnosed with PFJ pain it is condition in which the patella is no longer
moving or tracking correctly when the knee is loaded.
Take a look at this picture...
There are several forces acting on the knee cap.
They include:
-
The quadriceps (thigh muscles)
Patella tendon (below the kneecap)
Lateral & medial ligament structures
When these structures are balanced and
working correctly the knee cap moves along a
groove when your knee is straightening or
bending.
However, when one or more of these structures become too weak or too strong, they cause
an imbalance and the knee cap is pulled out of its groove. This causes your pain.
Over time, the undersurface of your kneecap and the outersurface
of the patella groove may begin to develop some wear and tear
which can cause further pain.
People with PFJ pain usually have pain when the knee is under
load for example, squatting, going up stairs and descending stairs,
jumping and running.
There are many factors that can contribute to being diagnosed
with PFJ pain. These can include:
-
Biomechanical errors such as the angle of your knee joint, rotation through your
thigh or shin bones and being flat-footed
Bony problems such as a flattened patella groove
Decreased muscle flexibility
Muscle weakness (in particular the medial structures)
Muscle overloading (in particular the lateral structures)
Decreased pelvic and core strength and stability
Poor muscular control
Your physiotherapist will determine what factors may be contributing to your pain and will
treat you accordingly and develop a strengthening program for your knee and pelvis.