Knee Pain Truths
How To Confirm If Your Knee Pain is Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
What is patellofemoral knee pain?
Poorly defined pain quality localised to the anterior retropatellar and/or peripatellar region of the knee. While many pathoanatomic correlates, such as internal derangement or cartilage softening, have been offered all are poorly associated with symptoms - so imaging results are less helpful.
If you have the following symptoms, you may very well have patellofemoral pain syndrome:
-
squatting
-
stair negotiation
-
running
-
knee pain with prolonged sitting (movie sign)
-
pain with sitting after exercise.
Clinicians should make the diagnosis of PFP using the following criteria:
1. The presence of retropatellar or peripatellar pain (pain behind the kneecap)
2. Reproduction of retropatellar or peripatellar pain with squatting, stair climbing, prolonged sitting, or other functional activities loading the patellofemoral joint in a flexed position
3. Exclusion of all other conditions that may cause anterior knee pain, including tibiofemoral pathologies
