Patellofemoral pain syndrome Flashcards
Describe the patella and its role in the knee
- sesamoid bone
- increases the efficiency of the quad pull for the last 30º
- guide for quad tendon and decreases the friction
- boney shield for the tibiofemoral joint
- thickest cartilage in body
Patella anatomy
- base is superior portion
- apex is the inferior portion
- medial side: medial facet and odd facet
- vertical ridge between medial and lateral facet
- superior and inferior facets
Describe important lateral structures in the knee in regards to support for the patella
- vastus intermedius
- vastus lateralis
- lateral retinaculum
- Gerry’s tubercle (bursa underneath) insertion for IT band
Describe important medial structure in the knee in regards to support for the patella
- vastus medialis
- quad tendon
- medial retainculum
- pes anserinus
- fat pat beneath patella ligament
- tibial tubersoity
Patella contact area during
1) flexion
2) mid range
3) extension
1) superior patella
2) more contact
3) inferior patella
lateral tracking is normal as you go into extension
Normal patella position
inreguards to patella ligment
- patella ligament length = patella body length
Patella alta
also what this looks like and what happens anatomically
- patella higher than normal
- patella ligament longer than normal
- frog eyes in 90ºof flexion as patellae faces up and out
- causes the patella to not be firmly in the intracondylar groove
Patella baja
- patella lower than normal
- patella ligament shorter than normal
- closer to the tibial tuberosity
Compressive forces at the PFJ
- reflects the magnitude of force through the quads
- walking 0.5 x BW
- ascending stairs 2.5 xBW
- descending stairs 3.5 x BW
- squatting 7.8 x BW
- compression forces overtime can cause DJD
Chondromalacia
- softening of cartilage on posterior surface of patella
- pitted tissues, fragmented
- may lead to DJD
Chondromalacia signs and symptoms
- PFJ creptitis (can feel this)
- retropatella pain w/ ROM
- pressure
- common in patients with high compressive forces (kneeling, seat, stairs, sitting with excessive knee flexion)
- post trauma and surgery
- associated with Mal-tracking compression
Patellar tracking
What allows tracking normally/what typically happens with mal-tracking
- opposing forces keep patella in groove
- Mal-tracking related to muscle imbalance, hyper/hypomobility
What structures must balance to have normal patella tracking
- overall quad force
- VMO
- IT band
- lateral retinacular fibers
- medial retinacular fibers
Causes of patella lateral mal-tracking
- muscle imbalance/weakness
- tight lateral structures
- laxity or tear fo medial patellar retinaculum
- bony dysplasia
- patella instability
- excessive pronation
- femoral IR torsion
- tibial bony lateral torsion
- knee alignment issues
How can muscle imbalances cause patella maltracking
- VMO: doesn’t oppose pull of VL, VMO is not recruited properly
- Weak hip ERs and abductors causes excessive femoral IR and adduction = valgus collapse
- females > males
female with patella femoral syndrome> weakness than females without it
How can tight lateral structures cause patella lateral mal tracking
- lateral retinaculum and ITB
- can pull the patella more laterally
How can laxity or tears in medial structures cause lateral Mal-tracking
- medial patellar retinaculum
How can bony dysplasia cause PFS
- shallow intercondylar groove of femur
- flat or smaller lateral femoral condyle
Patella instability and how it cause lateral mal-tracking
- patella alta
- genu recurvatum (hyperextension)
- not seated in intracondylar groove