Health news blog

Ideally, the kneecap should lie directly under the quadriceps in the center of the knee. In some people, however, the kneecap sits slightly off to one side or the other. In women, for example, the kneecap sits off to the side toward the center of the body, making women somewhat knock-kneed. To accommodate a woman’s wider pelvis, the femur is angled toward the other leg and the tibia is angled outward. On the other hand, many men are bowlegged, in which the femur angles inward as does the tibia. In fact, between 30 and 40 percent of the population—primarily women—has some kind of an abnormal knee alignment. In some cases, a malalignment of the kneecap can pull it off track. However, a trauma such as a twisting injury can also knock the kneecap off its track. If the kneecap partially comes off its track, its called a subluxation. If the kneecap is entirely off track—for example, it sits way off to the side instead of in the center—it’s called a dislocation. Although some people may not be bothered at all by irregular alignment, others may experience discomfort. Very often, the problem can often be corrected by strengthening the surrounding leg muscles, thus improving their shock-absorbing ability. I advise patients to try a well-supervised rehabilitation program for 6 months before seeking further treatment. However, if the patient is in a great deal of pain and a good rehabilitation program has not helped, surgical correction may be considered.

*30\185\2*