Exercises to Prevent Knee Cap Dislocation: by Gary J. Maguire, PT a physical therapist

Exercises to Prevent Knee Cap Dislocation
Gary J. Maguire, PT


The knee cap, or patella, attaches from the quadriceps muscle and has a ligament attached into the tibia bone. When the knee bends, the patella glides downward; it moves upward when the knee straightens. Patella dislocation happens when the knee cap slips sideways outside of the femur bone's trough. Patella dislocation is often seen in women, and is very painful. It usually occurs after a sudden change in direction when your leg is planted, putting your kneecap under stress, according to MedlinePlus.

Hamstring Stretch

The hamstring muscles on the back of your thigh often shorten with sitting activities. These muscles limit the patella from gliding through its full range of motion. Stretch your hamstring while standing with your leg up on a chair placed in front of you. Lean forward until you feel tension on the hamstring. Do not bounce or force a stretch. Hold the stretch for 1 to 2 minutes to allow the muscle to adaptively lengthen and not return to its shortened resting length. Repeat several times per day. As a variation, lie on your back with your leg straight up and use a towel around your foot to stretch.

Towel Roll

Roll up a towel to about to 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Sitting on the floor with your leg straight, put the towel under your knee. Squish the towel into the floor with your knee while contracting your thigh muscles. Hold as long as you can for up to 1 minute. Repeat the exercise 10 to 12 times. There should be no pain with the gliding of the patella. Slowly relax your thigh muscle.

Straight Leg Raise

Lie on the floor with your leg straight. Bend the other leg up until your foot is flat. Turn your foot out to a 45-degree angle. Raise your leg up to the level of the other leg's knee, or 12 to 14 inches. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds, then lower your leg back to the floor as slowly as you can. Rest and repeat. Start with 10 to 12 repetitions and gradually build to 22 to 30 repetitions.

 

Reference

• MedlinePlus: Kneecap Dislocation [http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001070.htm]
• American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Unstable Kneecap [http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00350]

Resource

• Children's Hospital Boston: Dislocated Patella [http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site801/mainpageS801P0.html]

Keywords

• patellar tracking
• knee cap pain
• patellar tracking exercises
• knee cap exercises
• knee cap problems
• Gary J. Maguire, PT
• Physical Therapist
• Physical Therapy
• Vancouver, WA