Anatomy
The kneecap, or patella, is a triangular, disc-shaped flat bone viewed from the front, which is part of our knee joint and plays an important role in the mobility and strength of our knee. The kneecap is connected to the large thigh muscle, the Musculus Quadriceps femoris, in whose tendon it is firmly anchored and serves as a sesamoid bone. The function of a sesamoid bone is to create an additional distance from the bone (in this case, the thigh) and thus to create greater leverage for the muscle’s tendon so that the muscle has to use less force to move the bone.
This is why so much force can be built up with the thigh muscle via the knee joint. The rear surface of the kneecap is covered with cartilage to allow the knee joint to slide smoothly. Like almost any other organ, the kneecap can become inflamed.
This can lead to considerable pain and restricted movement in the knee joint. The main symptom of an inflammation of the knee joint is knee pain, especially in the front part of the knee joint and directly above/below the kneecap. In addition, typical signs of an inflammation may also be present, such as overheating of the knee joint, more or less severe redness of the skin around the kneecap, swelling of the entire knee joint. After sitting for a long time in a position with bent knees, it is difficult for the person concerned to stand up and the pain becomes stronger for a short time. Continuous movement helps to relieve the pain.
Cause
The most common cause of an inflammation of the patella is overloading. Often the cartilage substance is also affected. Through a lot of running, running or jumping, strong mechanical impact and pressure forces act on our knee, which can lead to irritation or inflammation of the patella.
This can occur acutely due to excessive strain, or it can take a chronic course. If the kneecap is hit unfortunatly by a hard impact, so that it cannot be cushioned by the sliding movement in the knee, the cartilage can be damaged, the kneecap is literally squashed. Cartilage degeneration or knee arthrosis can also be accompanied by inflammation of the kneecap.
In this case, the disturbed sliding friction on the underside of the patella due to the damage to the cartilage causes nerve irritation, which is perceived as pain. In addition, inflammatory processes in or on the patella produce metabolic products that must be cleared away by the body’s own immune cells, causing fluid to collect in the knee. The so-called patellar tip syndrome is a quite common pathological and inflammatory disease of the kneecap, which is also caused by unfavorable stress.
In patellar tendinitis, severe knee pain is caused by chronic overloading of the extensor apparatus of the kneecap. This is caused by a frequently recurring tensile stress that is unusual for the knee, as it occurs mainly in jumping sports. This is why the term “Jumper’s Knee” is also a synonym for patellar tendon syndrome.
Beginners in particular are at risk of developing the described symptoms if they quickly strain the knee unprepared. Patellar tendon syndrome is usually treated conservatively. The most important thing is to stop the triggering strain for at least 6 weeks. After that, the load can slowly be regained. In addition, anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen can be taken.
