The knee is the most dynamic and complex joint in the human body. The extreme amount of pressure produced on the knee while cycling can lead to a number of different injuries. Pain in the right or left knee resulting from cycling is a common complaint among cyclists. Physical and or mechanical adjustments to your riding style can help to prevent any further knee pain while riding.
Anatomy
The knee joint is composed of three bones: the femur, or thighbone; the tibia, or inner shinbone; and fibula, or outer shinbone. The patella, or knee cap, is secured in the knee joint by the quadriceps tendon at the top and the patellar tendon at the bottom. The back of the patella as well as the surfaces of the femur and tibia are covered by a smooth articular cartilage to help them glide against each other. The medial and lateral collateral ligaments control side to side knee movement and the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments control back to back movement in the knee.
Types and Causes
IT band syndrome is an overuse injury that results from the iliotibial band, the tendon that runs along the outside of your leg rubbing against bony protrusions on the outside of the knee.
Anterior knee pain, also called patellofemoral pain syndrome, is used to describe a number of conditions that cause the knee cap not to track correctly when the knee bends.
Patellar tendinopathy, also referred to as jumper's knee, is a condition that causes an inflammation of the patellar tendon and is the result of overuse of the knee joint.
Treatment
As soon as you begin to feel symptoms of pain in your knee from cycling you should begin to follow the RICE protocol -- rest, ice, compression, elevation. Rest the knee from activities that aggravate the injury and use ice for 20 minutes at a time. Wrap the knee in a compression bandage and elevate above heart level when resting. Following a visit with a physician, you may be prescribed a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID, to help combat swelling. You may also receive a referral to a physical therapist. A physical therapist will work to find what caused the problem and prescribe knee joint-strengthening exercises to prevent future injuries.
Prevention
You may want to consider a bike fitting to make sure your saddle is at the correct high and forward or backward position. If you are seated too low or too high pressure may be unequally distributed through the knee joint. Change your gearing to a cadence that allows for 75 to 80 crank rotations per minute. Do not increase your riding mileage by more than 10 percent per week to avoid injuries associated with overuse of the knee joint.
