What is the Patella Femoral Syndrome?

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Patella Femoral Syndrome is one of the most prevalent knee injuries, especially in athletic young adults, and coaches, parents, and athletes should be on the look out for this often-debilitating problem. In the rehab clinic we tend to see this type of injury at the beginning and end of the sports season due to overtraining, or from some type of knee dysfunction involving the alignment of the thigh bones or musculature. We also tend to see patellafemoral problems after surgery of the hip, knee, or ankle due to some sort of abnormal compensation.

This syndrome typically describes many conditions regarding the knee, including patellar malalignment, chondromalacia, and dislocating patella. However, pain complaints are similar in these cases, usually involving pain in the front of the knee and under the kneecap, especially with activities such as climbing stairs, running, deep squatting, and standing for prolonged periods. The functioning of the kneecap is dependent on a fine balance between the way the thigh bones are aligned and the proper functioning of the muscles and ligaments. When this balance is disrupted, compensations are made. These compensations usually affect the way the kneecap tracks over the knee joint, which most typically pulls the kneecap to the outside of the knee joint. There are so many variables that affect this relationship that it is critical to get a thorough evaluation by a doctor or physical therapist to ensure a proper diagnosis of the problem.

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Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome.

While the exact cause of PF pain isn't known, it likely has something to do with the way the patella tracks along the groove of the femur. The patella can more up and down, side to side in the groove, as well as tilt and rotate. All this movement means that the patella can have contact with many of the articular surfaces of the knee depending upon a variety of factors such as muscle strength and balance, overuse, & incorrect tracking. It also means that the cause of pain may be from a variety of different factors.

It's basically when your knee caps aren't tracking properly. (They're a little tilted, or a little to the side).