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Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome(Runner’s Knee)Pronounced: Pa-tell-O-fem-or-al
by
Cynthia M. Johnson, MA DefinitionPatellofemoral pain syndrome is pain behind or around the kneecap. It is most common during impact activities, such as squatting, running, and climbing stairs.
CausesThe pain is caused by swelling in the tissue around the kneecap. This is often from overuse or poor alignment of the kneecap. Risk FactorsThis health problem is more common in women and people under the age of 40. It is also more common in people who are active, such as endurance athletes. Other things that may raise the risk are:
SymptomsThe main symptom is pain in the front of the knee. It often worse during impact activities. It may also happen during or after sitting too long. The knee may also be swollen or make popping or grinding sounds. DiagnosisThe doctor will ask about your symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done. It will focus on the knee. This is enough to make the diagnosis. You may need to see a doctor who treats bones and joints. TreatmentThe goal of treatment is to ease pain and promote movement. This may be done with:
Surgery is rarely done to treat this problem. It may be used when other methods do not help. PreventionThe risk of this health problem may be lowered by varying physical activities and slowly increasing how long and how often they are done. RESOURCES:Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians http://familydoctor.org OrthoInfo—American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons http://orthoinfo.aaos.org CANADIAN RESOURCES:Canadian Orthopaedic Association http://www.coa-aco.org Health Canada https://www.canada.ca References:Crossley KM, Stefanik JJ, et al. 2016 Patellofemoral pain consensus statement from the 4th International Patellofemoral Pain Research Retreat, Manchester. Part 1: Terminology, definitions, clinical examination, natural history, patellofemoral osteoarthritis and patient-reported outcome measures. Br J Sports Med. 2016 Jul;50(14):839-843.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
https://www.dynamed.com/condition/patellofemoral-pain-syndrome
. Updated November 6, 2019. Accessed March 26, 2020.
Smith TO, Drew BT, Meek TH, Clark AB. Knee orthoses for treating patellofemoral pain syndrome. Cochrane Database of Syst Rev 2015;(12):CD010513. Last reviewed February 2020 by
EBSCO Medical Review Board
Teresa Briedwell, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS Last Updated: 3/26/2020 | |