Kneecap Dislocation

There are three bones that make up the knee joint: the femur (thigh bone), the tibia (shin bone) and the patella (knee cap). The kneecap is located in a groove which is known as trochlea. When there is a movement in the knee, i.e. when the knee bends or straightens, the kneecap moves around in the groove. But sometimes, the kneecap moves out of its groove due to an injury. Thus the kneecap comes unstuck from the rest of the knee, causing dislocation.

Symptoms and Causes

Some people are generally more prone to it than others. It is said that women have a higher risk of having their kneecap dislocated than men. People who are more likely to get a kneecap dislocation are those who have an unusual style of walking, a wider pelvis or a shallow groove which holds the kneecap. Due to these reasons, they have a lower resistance. The direct causes of kneecap dislocation are due to a rough landing on the knee while walking or running or a blow to the outer side of the knee. While most people can stomach the blows and rough landings, people having the problems outlined above have lesser resistance to the same.

The symptoms are as follows.

• Kneecap pain when running or walking
• Tenderness in knee
• Swelling
• Kneecap becomes more flexible than usual
• Kneecap moves to the outer side of the knee
• Discomfort while walking/running
• Knee pain

Dislocation Treatment

The treatment for a dislocation depends on the extent of the injury. Mostly the kneecap comes out due to a tear in the patellofemoral ligament. So the best way to treat a non-serious dislocation is to immobilize it. A brace can be worn to keep the knee together and ensure that excess pressure does not fall on the knee while the ligaments grow back. The knee will need to be immobilized for a period of 7-10 days. The patient will then have to go for physiotherapy with the help of exercises which will also help in strengthening the quadriceps muscle. The recovery time using this non-operative treatment is 3-6 weeks.

But once the patellofemoral ligament (or for that matter any ligament) tears, the chances of a recurrence of knee dislocation and a torn ligament increases. Hence if the problem seems to be recurring in nature, it maybe a good idea to go in for a surgical treatment. The doctor will look into the knee with an arthroscope to find the exact cause of the knee dislocation whether it is simply a dislocation or the groove of the kneecap is shallow and then decide on a corrective surgery. Surgery is said to be a more common form of knee dislocation treatment in case of sports persons as it reduces the chance of frequent reccurence of knee dislocation. A person can move around 6 weeks after a successful operation and can resume training after 12 weeks.

Prevention

Surgery or knee immobilization is a very frustrating experience for the patient. 12 weeks is quite a long recovery time and hence it may be a good idea to invest some time in learning ways in which the problem can be prevented. Firstly, there may be a problem in the way you walk/run. This leads to a continuous pressure on the knees and the ligament and hence over a period of time there are chances that the ligament may degenerate and tear. Secondly, you should also ensure that you regularly exercise, stretch and condition the quadriceps to maintain a stable, injury-free knee.

It is a terrible enough experience, as is any knee injury, as it totally immobilizes the patient for sometime. Hence to avoid recurrence of this problem, go to a good doctor who will treat your knee better!