Knee Cap Problems

In a normal knee, the kneecap (patella) glides up and down in the centre of the groove on the front of the femur as the knee bends and straightens. If your anatomy (“the way you are made”) is slightly unusual or the muscle actions on this joint are not ‘balanced’ then the kneecap (patello-femoral) joint can (over time) be subjected to abnormal forces which can cause symptoms.

Some patients present with pain over the front of the knee which is worsened by ‘bending’ activities such as squatting or climbing up and down stairs.

In other patients these forces can be enough to cause the kneecap to ‘pop’ out or feel as though it might (patella instability). Instability can present with different symptoms, from a feeling of “it might go” right through to a complete dislocation (“popping out”). A ‘normal’ kneecap can also dislocate following a significant twisting injury during a fall or certain sports activities.

Knee cap problems can be tricky to treat so an accurate assessment and investigations are essential to secure a precise diagnosis and allow an appropriate treatment plan to be made.