Knee injuries: why prevention is important

Almost 25% of all injuries treated by a physiotherapist involve the knee joint. Without, the most common knee complaint is patella (knee cap) mal-tracking or Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS). In “normal” situations, the patella slides up & down in a little groove at the base of our femur (thigh bone) whenever we walk/jump/run/squat etc. Many people, though have a biomechanics abnormality, causing the patella to move slightly laterally (toward the outside of your leg) as it slides up and down.

This lateral shift of the patella means the cartilage underneath the patella will start to rub unevenly, provoking a inflammatory reaction (i.e. it swells and gets sore!) Prolonged rubbing of the cartilage will actually soften it (chondromalacia), and eventually wear it away. The bad news is, that once you have worn away your cartilage, you cannot get it back (although the orthopaedic surgical world is working on a solution to this!). So, clearly prevention (or at least getting your knee properly assessed at the first sign of any symptoms) is better trying to fix things down the track.

There are a number of factors that can negatively influence the biomechanics of your legs, including:
• Poor hip muscle control/core stability
• Tight Gluts/Quad/ITB
• Poor VMO (Inner Quad) control
• Tight Calves
• Over-pronating (or flat) feet

To treat PFPS well, all factors should be properly assessed, and a plan put in place to address all deficiencies. On occasions, you physiotherapist might suggest taping or a knee brace to provide a short term solution to the mal-tracking, whilst you are working at stretching out the tight things and strengthening the weak things.

If you are suffering knee pain, don’t wait any longer to do something about – book an assessment with your local physiotherapist!

Adrian Quinn - Physiotherapist and Director, Back In Motion Camberwell