The knee joint is the largest joint in the body, other than the hips.
It has four separate elements that keep the knees strong, stable, and healthy. Bones, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments keep the kneecap from moving and keep the knee strong and stable.
An injury to any of those elements could cause an injury in the others. They work as a team.
Although there is a difference between dislocating the whole knee joint and dislocating the patella (kneecap), they’re both dangerous and painful. The kneecap bone is actually grown/fused together with the tendon in the quadriceps. When the kneecap moves, the tendons can tear or become damaged. Tendons are similar to ligaments, which also can move and become damaged during a dislocation of the kneecap.
Dislocations typically happen when someone’s leg is straight and their feet aren’t on solid, flat ground. It also happens when their knee gets hit or knocked out of place by something, such as another person or an object. Many people with high arches on their feet will suffer patellar dislocation when they aren’t wearing arch support shoes on even ground. In addition, women are much more likely than men to have issues with their kneecaps dislocating due to how wide their hips are.
Here are some ways to keep your kneecaps from moving out of place:
1. Make sure to use your leg muscles evenly. Do not do exercises on one leg and then skip the other leg. Don’t miss out on any important muscle groups when you exercise. Keep your muscles toned and strengthened evenly. If you work too much on a certain muscle group and not enough on another, the knee may want to pull off to the outside of your leg, and dislocate.
2. Consult an expert. If you do exercises by yourself without guidance, you may actually be doing it wrong and putting yourself in danger. Ask an expert such as a personal trainer if you are doing everything in the right form. If you aren’t, they can help you do things correctly and safer.
3. Work on your IT band and hips. The iliotibal band/tract lies on the outside of the leg. It is important to stretch and exercise this muscle properly so that the kneecap isn’t pulled to the outside.
4. Ask your doctor for some helpful exercises and stretches for your knees and muscles. Maybe start working with a personal trainer or physical therapist.
5. If something doesn’t feel right, or if your kneecaps feel like they want to move out of place while you are doing something specific, avoid doing that for now. Ask a specialist when all else fails.
If you believe you have experienced a patellar dislocation, seek some medical attention.
