Patellar Dislocations occur when forces push the kneecap (patella) out of its usual place on the femur bone (thigh bone). Most dislocations are caused by trauma such as twisting forces or jumping; most frequently this injury affects those aged 10-17 and particularly girls.
Strengthening Exercises
Most patellar dislocations are the result of weak quadriceps muscles, which increase the risk of the kneecap becoming dislodged from its position. Other ligaments and tendons around the knee also play a part in keeping things in their proper place; strengthening exercises for these muscles as well as stretching exercises designed to improve flexibility and stability can be effective ways to treat and prevent future episodes – your physician or physical therapist can recommend an individualized plan tailored to you.
Treatment should focus on relieving pain, increasing quadriceps strength and realigning kneecap alignment. Nonsurgical approaches may include resting the knee, participating in regular stretching and strengthening exercises, taping or bracing the joint or using ice; your physician may suggest an array of such solutions as possible solutions.
Study results on patients suffering recurrent patellar dislocations by the authors revealed that supervised rehabilitation programs led by physiotherapists involving advice and tailored progressive home exercises for six months proved more successful than self-managed rehabilitation alone in improving outcomes – specifically magnetic resonance imaging measures of VMO thickness, instrumented passive patellar stability and isometric knee extension torque than self-managed groups.
Physical therapists are adept at providing exercises designed to strengthen quadriceps muscles and other knee-related muscles, such as biofeedback. Your therapist may also teach techniques like these in order to teach proper contracting of muscles and prevent over-strain.
One key exercise for treating patellar instability is the straight leg raise, which both stretches and tightens quadriceps muscles at the front of your thigh. To perform it effectively, lie on the floor with both legs bent at 90deg, one on top of another leg bent and extended while tightening quadriceps muscles in straightened leg; repeat three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions three times daily with optional ankle weights to increase difficulty as you gain strength.
If your patella has moved from its proper place in the trochlear groove, surgery may be required to realign the joint. This typically only becomes necessary with longstanding dislocations requiring prolonged care; otherwise most people with less severe dislocations usually can recover without needing surgical intervention.
Flexibility Exercises
Your healthy patella should rest directly over the joint capsule of your knee, where it’s held firmly in place by ligaments and quadriceps muscles. When loose, however, it can shift away from its proper location towards either lateral displacement (outer leg) or medial displacement (inner leg). This can cause both pain and loss of knee stability – normally assisted by quadriceps muscles and ligaments surrounding it; weak quadriceps muscles increase your risk for dislocation.
Your doctor or physical therapist may recommend exercise to strengthen the muscles around your knee and hip as well as stretch and improve flexibility of the joint capsule and kneecap. Once symptoms have subsided, exercise should begin as soon as advised by medical personnel or physical therapists; they may even suggest adding taping or bracing techniques into an exercise program for additional support.
Initial advice from your physician will likely involve restricting how far you bend your knee. This is because bending it too far causes too much pressure on the joint capsule and could even result in dislocation; treatment thus involves gradually building up your range over eight weeks.
Begin by lying on a flat surface with your affected leg extended and using a towel or blanket to gently bend it slightly. Tighten thigh muscles by pushing down through the back of the knee; hold this position for six seconds then rest. Do this as often as you are comfortable – as long as it remains pain free!
Exercise regularly will restore full range of motion in your knee and strengthen its supporting muscles, which in turn will lower the likelihood of further patellar dislocations. You can perform this exercise while wearing your patellar tracking disorder brace if necessary.
Range of Motion Exercises
An active range of motion is vital to all joints, as it allows us to move freely. Its effectiveness depends on factors like bone configuration within a joint capsule, ligaments and tendons as well as muscles acting on it; restricted movements increase risk of injury, pain and limited mobility. Restricting movements increases risk for injury as well as reduced mobility – for injured joints this may include physical therapy exercises, casts/splinting to stretch tissues further out and using continuous passive motion machines as well as medications which could all help improve range of motion.
Normal kneecap (patella) placement lies within a groove on top of the femur bone. When you bend and straighten your leg, the patella glides along its track in this groove, but patellar instability may develop if this track gets off track during movement or not – this may happen from direct trauma to the patella or repetitive activities that cause sudden shifts from one direction to the other like jumping or cutting sports activities.
Physical therapists will help you restore normal knee movement through range of motion exercises. Your physical therapist may start with active range of motion exercises – which require contracting and relaxing muscles yourself to provide movement – before progressing onto other types of exercises that increase knee mobility and control.
These exercises may include quad sets, tibial slides and knee flexion/extension movements. Your physical therapist will teach you how to perform them, starting slowly with only a few repetitions before gradually increasing over time.
Your physical therapist will prescribe strengthening exercises to increase knee stability and control, especially as you return to more physically demanding activities such as running, jumping and cutting sports. A seasoned physical therapist who specializes in this kind of injury and treatment will know which combination of exercises to prescribe in order to reduce risk of further patellar dislocations.
Stability Exercises
Patellar dislocation occurs when the kneecap (patella) becomes dislodged from its normal position on the end of the thigh bone (femur). This condition can result from injury, or develop over time with everyday activities like running and jumping; most commonly seen among people aged 16-30; pain can arise, swelling can develop as well as difficulties using stairs or walking.
The quadriceps muscles and ligaments surrounding the knee assist in keeping the patella in its proper place to help shield it from direct trauma, yet in certain instances the force pushing outward is greater than what quadriceps and patella retinaculum can withstand – this often happens after suffering direct trauma to the knee, however occasionally occurs as a result of rapid changes in direction such as soccer or basketball; or in children who are particularly flexible or people suffering from conditions that make their ligaments looser than usual.
Other symptoms of patellar dislocation may include feeling that your kneecap is “out of place”, with clicking, popping, or catching when you bend or straighten your leg. A physical therapist can teach you specific exercises to strengthen quadriceps muscles and align the kneecap in its proper place – these can be performed both at home or in their clinic.
Most patellar tracking disorders can be treated without surgery. Your physician or physical therapist may recommend stretching and strengthening exercises for the thigh muscles, tape or bracing your knee, and using ice to reduce pain and swelling. They may also teach specific movements that help keep the patella from coming loose again.
When meeting with a physical therapist, inquire as to their experience in treating patellar dislocation and other knee injuries. Also be prepared to describe how your injury occurred as well as symptoms. From there they will recommend the best course of treatment.
