Do you have a Painful Knee? - It could be Patellofemoral Syndrome
Patellofemoral syndrome is a common overuse injury of the knee that often results from exercises involving repetitive movements using a higher degree of knee angle than most other exercises.
This condition occurs via two mechanisms, either when the extensor mechanism of the knee is malaligned or as a result of repetitive microtrauma from overuse. Basically, overuse can cause irritation on the articulation between the patella bone and the femoral condyles, the rounded projections on the femur (commonly called the thigh bone). To make this clear let us take a look at the anatomy of the knee. The patella is a small, round bone, commonly called the knee cap. It is situated within the lower end of the quadriceps tendon and the upper end of the patellar tendon (or ligament). There are two projections at the lower end of the femur that hold the patella in place. Patellofemoral syndrome affects the tracking of the patella within this region. People who exercise excessively may develop this condition by causing microtrauma in the area of patellofemoral joint, which means that through external stresses tracking is compromised.
The pain associated with this condition is probably due to the strain placed on the retinaculum, the structure that holds the patella, often times to the lateral side of the knee, causing inflammation. Inflammation of the soft tissues surrounding the area, along with the irritated, yet highly enervated patella, causes pain. The patellofemoral syndrome is recognized by a dull, aching pain behind or above the knee. Inflicted exercisers often have pain while sitting for any length of time with a flexed knee position. Sharp pain may be observed upon activities that require squatting and climbing or descending stairs. Another common symptom is cracking noises that come from the knee during bending and stretching, called crepitus. Often these symptoms do not appear at one instance but develop gradually, which is characteristic of an overuse injury.
This condition occurs via two mechanisms, either when the extensor mechanism of the knee is malaligned or as a result of repetitive microtrauma from overuse. Basically, overuse can cause irritation on the articulation between the patella bone and the femoral condyles, the rounded projections on the femur (commonly called the thigh bone). To make this clear let us take a look at the anatomy of the knee. The patella is a small, round bone, commonly called the knee cap. It is situated within the lower end of the quadriceps tendon and the upper end of the patellar tendon (or ligament). There are two projections at the lower end of the femur that hold the patella in place. Patellofemoral syndrome affects the tracking of the patella within this region. People who exercise excessively may develop this condition by causing microtrauma in the area of patellofemoral joint, which means that through external stresses tracking is compromised.
The pain associated with this condition is probably due to the strain placed on the retinaculum, the structure that holds the patella, often times to the lateral side of the knee, causing inflammation. Inflammation of the soft tissues surrounding the area, along with the irritated, yet highly enervated patella, causes pain. The patellofemoral syndrome is recognized by a dull, aching pain behind or above the knee. Inflicted exercisers often have pain while sitting for any length of time with a flexed knee position. Sharp pain may be observed upon activities that require squatting and climbing or descending stairs. Another common symptom is cracking noises that come from the knee during bending and stretching, called crepitus. Often these symptoms do not appear at one instance but develop gradually, which is characteristic of an overuse injury.
posted by Tom and Len | 9:35 AM
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