What is a Kneecap injury?

The knee is unique and one of the strongest joints in the human body. It allows the lower leg to move relative to the thigh while supporting the body’s weight. It has a small bone specifically to aid its function, called -Kneecap or Patella. Patello-Femoral Pain syndrome (PFS) is the main cause of knee pain. It is common amongst those who put repetitive stress on their knees, like-Badminton players. Tennis players, Soccer players , athletes, cyclists, runners, and many other sports require regular stress on the knees.

Symptoms:

1. Pain behind kneecap or front of the knee – People who have suffered an acute patellar injury may experience knee pain when moving, or otherwise, putting pressure on the kneecap

2. Swelling or Tenderness- Acute injuries often produce swelling from inflammation

3. Difficulty in walking, standing, or stretching the legs

4. Instability

Causes:

1. Overstress on the Knee – Running and Jumping related sports can lead to repetitive stress on the knee joint which causes kneecap or Patella irritation.

2. Structural alignment, imbalance, or weakness – Patello - Femoral Pain can occur when the muscle around the hip and knee are not properly aligned. Structural alignment and muscle weakness or imbalance may cause the patella to track improperly on the femur during movement. This results in excessive wear and tear on the undersurface of the kneecap in contact with bone leading to pain around the kneecap.

Diagnosis:

Diagnosis is generally made based on clinical examination, history, and X-ray of the knee is useful to assess the kneecap position and to rule out any other condition. The doctor will see whether you can walk or bend your knees. They will observe the areas that show defects or displacement or pain.

Treatment:

The treatment includes avoiding activities that put more stress on the knee, medication to reduce the pain or Physiotherapy. Once the pain reduces, you may be advised to do some exercises to strengthen the quadriceps muscles. You may be advised to use knee support or a brace while going for any sports activities. Your knee may require a surgical repair if the kneecap is fractured and any piece of bone is out of place. The cost of kneecap full or partial replacement surgery in India is much less compared to American and European countries, even though the treatment is the same and meets all the global standards.

When to go for the Kneecap or Patella Surgery?

You may require surgical intervention in the condition mentioned below:

  • If the patella has been fractured into many fragments and has separated from each other.
  • If the bone fragments have broken through the skin. It is called an open fracture
  • If the ligaments or tendons surrounding the fractured patella have been torn

There are two types of surgeries to treat the fractured/broken/dislocated Kneecap: -

1. Open reduction-internal fixation surgery – In this method, the surgeons make the incision and fix the broken or fractured bones back to the proper place using metal wires and screws. Fractured pieces of bones which are too small and cannot be fixed are removed. A severely fractured kneecap cannot be repaired. It can be removed totally or partially.

The surgeons after fixing the fractured or broken bones close the opening of the incision with stitches or staples and put a sterile dressing over it. The knee is put in a cast or any other immobilizer device to stop the knee movement while the wound heals. Sometimes the metal screws may irritate your knee. In such cases, the wire is removed once the kneecap is healed completely.

2. Full or Partial patellectomy/kneecap replacement surgery: This procedure is performed if the fractured bones are too small to repair. The surgeons remove all the fractured bones. This surgery lasts for two hours. Full or Partial kneecap replacement surgery preserves the patellar tendon below, quadriceps tendon above the kneecap, and other soft tissues around the kneecap.

Recovery time post Kneecap replacement surgery:

The Department of Orthopaedics and Joint Replacement at Aakash Healthcare Super Specialty Hospital comprises highly qualified and best orthopaedics doctors/surgeons in Delhi. They have complete training in all aspects of Orthopaedics and Joint Replacement. The department offers the most comprehensive treatment in the area of Orthopaedics, for adults and paediatrics. Our highly skilled and experienced team of specialists, coupled with a state-of-the-art healing environment, internationally accepted surgical protocols and a full-fledged rehabilitation program ensure the best treatment possible.

Also Read: Different Types of Knee Replacement Surgeries

with Dr. Aashish Chaudhry

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