

The kneecap, or patella bone, is anteriorly located on the knee joint and helps to protect and maintain proper mobility of the knee joint. This part of the knee is invaluable and is susceptible to injury and dislocation. An injury to the patella can misalign the kneecap and move this bone out of place. A patellar subluxation occurs when the kneecap is not fully dislocated yet. Without proper treatment, this can lead to a full Patellar Dislocation. In several sports activities like basketball and soccer, a kneecap dislocation may be a common injury as a result of overstretching of ligaments that surround the patella.
The kneecap can be easily seen in all patients, and its mobility easily tested. The patella should easily be able to be moved manually a few millimeters up and down and side to side. Many times, after an injury, the patient is able to see if their kneecap appears to be out of place or out of alignment with the rest of the joint. Or they will be able to feel that it is not tracking properly. Obvious visibility of a misaligned kneecap will not always be present, however. Many times, patients not only experience significant knee pain in the case of a dislocation, but there are other patellar dislocation symptoms that you need to be aware of. These symptoms include:
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A sudden twisting, jerking or direct hit to the kneecap can cause chronic knee pain. In order to determine if the kneecap is injured, a proper diagnosis must be made by your physician. This will aid your physician in deciding on the proper route of treatment for your injury. The patella is held in place by the ligaments and cartilage that surround it. These ligaments connect the patella from the lower end of the thigh bone (femur) to the upper end of the shin bone (tibia). Patients who participate in contact sports or high-intensity workouts should be cautious of a patellar dislocation. A patellar dislocation can be caused by the following factors:
If the knee joint in overstretched or directly hit in any way, the kneecap is at risk of dislocating or subluxing. Subluxation is the step before dislocation. The pain-free patella should be positioned in the front and center of the knee itself. When walking or any other time that the quadriceps muscle is contracted, the patella should follow a painless path of movement that is referred to as ‘patellar tracking.’ There are special tests that your orthopedic doctor or physical therapist can perform to determine if the patella is tracking properly.
The kneecap is there to protect and maintain proper motion of the rest of the knee joint, but it needs to be protected as well. Proper positioning and movement of the patella is critical to having a fully functioning knee. Patients can take precautions in their daily routines and during exercise activities. A patella dislocation diagnosis may be preventable if patients follow this advice: