Your knee is a complex joint. According to Orthopaedic surgeon and physician Dan Wnorowski, M.D., patella pain is one of the most common causes of knee discomfort. Other unpleasant symptoms as instability, catching, grinding and swelling of the kneecap often accompany pain. Kneecap problems can present as pain alone, as in patellofemoral syndrome, or with structural issues like bursitis, disease or injury. The vast majority of kneecap problems respond well to conservative treatment and surgery is rarely necessary.
Patellofemoral Pain
Pain in the front of your kneecap prevents you from walking up or down stairs, kneeling squatting or sitting with your legs bent for long periods of time. Doctors call this condition patellofemoral pain, but athletes often used the term “runner’s knee” to describe the dull, aching pain under or around the front of the kneecap. Patellofemoral pain syndrome includes a variety of conditions, including anterior knee pain syndrome, patellofemoral misalignment and chondromalacia patella. Pain may be the result of inflammation of the tissue surrounding the front of the knee. Misalignment of the kneecap can exacerbate runner’s knee symptoms.
Kneecap Bursitis
Kneecap bursitis, or prepatellar bursitis, can affect a person who spends a lot of time on his knees, such as a plumber or gardener. The constant friction from kneeling irritates a lubricating sac, or bursa, on the kneecap. An irritated bursa does a poor job of lubricating the knee joint, causing pain and rapid swelling on top of the kneecap.
Osgood-Schlatter Disease
Osgood-Schlatter disease strikes growing adolescents who overuse joints during sports like soccer, gymnastics, basketball and long-distance running. This condition is caused by inflammation of a tendon just below the kneecap. This tendon secures the kneecap in place by attaching it to the shinbone. Osgood-Schlatter disease causes pain, swelling and tenderness when pressure is applied to the area.
Injury
Pain in the front of your kneecap may be the result of injury, such as a fall or hitting your knee on something hard. The kneecap serves as protection for your knee and, as such, can suffer substantial damage during a fall. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons states that broken kneecaps account for about 1 percent of all fractures and are most common in people 20 to 50 years old. Men are twice as likely to fracture their patellas as women. Bruising and swelling often accompanies trauma. Long-term pain in the front of the knee is common with patellar fractures. Surgery may be necessary in cases of fractured kneecaps.
