Kneecap pain can be caused by kneecap dislocation. The kneecap or the patella is one of the three bones that form the knee joint. In fact, patella dislocation is the most common type of knee injury. The other two bones apart from the patella(kneecap) are the shin bone( tibia) and the thigh bone (femur). The kneecap is located in furrow called trochlea. Normally, when the knee twists, bends or becomes straight, the kneecap moves around this trochlea. However, when there is an injury, the kneecap comes out of its furrow, leading to kneecap dislocation.
Kneecap pain or kneecap dislocation causes
People who may get kneecap pain are usually those who are elderly or have an injury that has affected the knees. Blow outside the knees or landing on the knee due to a fall can be the direct causes. Usually people who are affected with such kind of accidents include those with an unusual gait, wide pelvis or those whose furrow that holds the kneecap is shallow.
Kneecap dislocation symptoms
Kneecap pain while walking or running, swelling and tenderness are the other reasons. There is also a possibility of the kneecap becoming more flexible than usual.
Kneecap Dislocation Treatment
The treatment for dislocated kneecap depends on how serious the injury is. Usually kneecap dislocation is due to patellofemoral ligament tear. When the ligaments that hold the kneecap is ruptured, there is dislocation of the knee cap. The best way to treat kneecap dislocation is to wear a brace to keep the knee together so that the weight does not fall on that area when the ligaments grow back. The patient may also be advised knee dislocation exercise to strengthen the quadriceps muscle. This non-surgical way to treat knee pain can be 3 to 6 weeks.
However, once the patellofemoral ligament or a surrounding ligament tears, there is more chance of knee dislocation and torn ligament. So, if you end up getting kneecap pain again, it is better to go for surgery to treat kneecap dislocation. The doctor will use an arthroscope to find out the reason for the problem where it is just a dislocation issue or if the trochlea is shallow as well. Surgery is actually the best way to treat knee dislocation especially for sports people because it reduces the chances of frequent, recurrent episodes of this problem.
Kneecap surgery recovery time:
The recovery time is around 6 weeks after the surgery and a person can do his work after 12 weeks
