Causes of runner’s knee

There are many conditions which affect the knee joint and make it a challenge to walk, run or stand without causing pain. One such condition is known as the runner’s knee.

This condition is as a result of damage to the smooth layer that covers the kneecap. The damage may result from the softening or wearing out of this smooth layer and may be mild to severe.

Your kneecap lies within a large and tough cord in your knee area. The large cord connects to your thigh muscles whose main function is to straighten your leg.

The kneecap is covered with a smooth layer which assists the kneecap to glide over the knee area effortlessly.

What are the risk factors?

The kneecap is usually drawn over the lower aspect of the thighbone whenever the leg moves.

Individuals with this condition do not have the kneecap sliding over smoothly and the inner part of the kneecap may rub against the lower aspect of the thigh bone resulting in pain and swelling in the knee.

The condition occurs mostly in young individuals especially those involved in sports.

There are various instances where this may occur such as;

• When too much stress is placed on the knee especially in sports – there are some individuals who may have problems with the formation of their knee joint and hence may result in the kneecap rubbing on an aspect of the thigh bone.

The wrong development of the knee may contribute to this alteration.

It may also be due to a disparity in the muscles around the knee such as your thigh muscle.

A change in the natural formation of the knee also changes the way you stand or walk and places a lot of unnecessary stress on the knee.

• Sudden changes in activities relating to how often the activity is performed as well as the intensity of the activity.

The condition may also be influenced by the use of inappropriate footwear and training equipment or procedures.

• When an injury occurs at the knee joint or close to the knee, this may predispose the kneecap to damage. Also, continuous or repeated injuries especially during sporting activities to the knee joint may result in this condition.

Laxity or damage in the other tough cords in the knee joint may also cause the kneecap not to move properly.

• Individuals with weakness in the thigh muscle as well as weakness in other parts of the leg muscles may also experience this condition.

Imbalances in the muscles of hip and lower leg may also predispose some individuals to the condition.

What are the symptoms?

You may experience pain around the front aspect of your knee joint or behind the knee joint which may worsen with change in slope or when climbing the stairs.

Individuals who also sit for a prolonged period of time may also experience an increase in pain as they tend to keep the knees bent for some time.

You may experience a grinding feeling or noise every time  you move your affected leg. Pain may also be increased or aggravated by various activities such as jumping, running etc.

Some individuals may experience tightness in the knee joint as well as reduced thigh muscle strength.

How is the condition diagnosed?

Typically, an examination is performed on your knee to determine the extent or movement available at the knee joint.

The history of your condition is taken together with the positions in which the pain is relieved.

Examination involves your hip, knees, ankles and the nature of your thigh and leg muscles are also taken into account.

Further investigations are conducted to confirm the diagnosis or rule out other causes.

Tests conducted include X-rays and MRI of the knee joint.