Kneecap Dislocation

[Drew16]

Anyone have this or know much about it. My kneecaps (both of them) dislocate occassionally and it is easily the most painful thing ever. I have mentioned it to doctors and they seem to brush it off. Im sure if I saw a specialist they would be more helpful but have yet to do so. I looked online and found limited info.

[funkymunky]

I've done this, and can confirm that it indeed is quite painful.

In my case, I had a stretched MCL ligament, and a slightly stretched ACL. So, I had medial and anterior instability of my right knee. Playing baseball, I always had a strong weight transfer, pushing off my right leg as I swung a bat.

Well, one cold, rainy day - no warm-up, muddy ground, low pitch, and me swinging for the fences, all added up to my right patella dislocating laterally.

I damaged the articular cartilage, and my knee now grinds with bending and straightening (I sound like a bowl of rice krispies when I climb stairs). Doesn't hurt ... yet.

Do your kneecaps actually dislocate? I doubt most docs would brush it off so simply. Mine was truly dislocated, it took another person to straighten the knee so the kneecap could slide back in place. (I was laying supine on the ground with my knee bent, unable to move)

[Drew16]

Yes they actually dislocate. The first time it happened I was only 9 (mine also happened playing baseball) and I was taken to the ER because they thought I broke my leg. At some point during the 6 hour wait in the ER it popped back in and when they looked at it they said it was just a bad sprain.

Now when it happens I just pop it back in myself. Sometimes it goes right back in, other times it may take 20 minutes. Usually after it happens it swells some and is sore for a day or two. Since then Ive mentioned it to doctors but they never seem to think much of it.

Id say between both knees this has probably happened 12-15 times.

[funkymunky]

Well, I guess you should see someone about rehabilitation. You want to get rid of any muscle imbalances, particularly between the medial and lateral structures of the knee. Typically, the medial knee stabilizers (especially the VMO muscle or "teardrop") is weak or atrophied/inhibited, and the lateral structures are tight. Sometimes the connective tissues on the lateral side of the knee are very tight, effectively pulling the kneecap laterally.

Again, my knee has never really been the same since the one injury. Yes, it was a little unstable, but I basically scraped my cartilage when the kneecap popped out, and/or when it slid back in place.

[KDuff]

That sounds terrible.
Definitely go to an orthopaedist. The doc will test your joint stability and maybe recommend an MRI. If the doc sees something you'll probably get PT and a knee brace proscribed.

[KOTLP]

See a specialist. Eventually you are likely to do some damage and need surgery, and will develop arthritis later in life. A physical therapist will give you a stretch routine that will help prevent them from dislocating again.

My left knee used to dislocate at least once a year and it hurt like hell. In the worst case it resulted in major surgery and 6 months of crutches/rehab. I've been on crutches a bunch of times. Streches make a big difference, but my knee is so bad now I had to just give up on a lot of activities I used to love.

[hoterdoc]

describe your procedure for relocating it

i presume it is dislocated laterally rather than medially

[Drew16]

[ QUOTE ]
describe your procedure for relocating it

i presume it is dislocated laterally rather than medially

[/ QUOTE ]

usually my knee is in a semi bent position when it happens. I just grab my knee cap with both hands and very slowly try to straighten my leg whilst gently guiding my kneecap back to its "hole". Straightening it hurts like a sombitch so i can just move it a little at a time. Sometimes it pops right back in. Sometimes it doesnt even get all the way out, I can feel it going but then it just goes right back. It has taken me 40 minutes before to get it back in though.

[TomCollins]

[ QUOTE ]
Anyone have this or know much about it. My kneecaps (both of them) dislocate occassionally and it is easily the most painful thing ever. I have mentioned it to doctors and they seem to brush it off. Im sure if I saw a specialist they would be more helpful but have yet to do so. I looked online and found limited info.

[/ QUOTE ]

I had this problem in high school (one of my kneecaps would be turned slightly and hurt like hell until I could straighten it). I used to do Taekwondo and Mogul Skiing a lot, so my knees got destroyed pretty easily. When I was at a chiropractor, she pushed it back into place (it was always slightly out of line), and the problem went away. I only had it happen once since, and I pushed it back on my own and it went away.

[hobbes9324]

Here we go....

1) You DON'T need an MRI, or anything of that nature. The kneecap is NOT part of the knee joint - so you aren't messing up the articular surfaces or the internal ligaments of the knee when your kneecap goes east/west on you.

2) You DO need to see an orthopedist, and most likely you have surgery in your future, although if you're lucky some PT and a good exercise program might get you by. Probably not, though.

3) Patellar dislocations (Kneecaps) are easily my favorite things to fix - you can't screw them up, and patients are very happy. Knee dislocations, OTOH, are pretty much disasters - for you west coasters, the San Jose State football player who lost his leg had a knee dislocation - despite perfect care, somewhere in the neighborhood of 30% of all truely dislocated knees result in amputation - due to vascular injuries that can't be fixed....

MM MD