What is Patella Maltracking?

The patella (knee cap) is a bone which is situated at the front of the knee. It sits in the tendon which forms at the bottom of the thigh muscles called the Quadriceps tendon and attaches to the tibia (shin bone) by the patella tendon. Maltracking occurs when the patella moves to one or other side of the knee as the knee is bent rather than staying in a central position. It can be caused by overuse, tight tissues attached to the outside of the knee, muscle imbalance, malformation of the patella or certain foot pathologies, particularly over pronation.

Symptoms

The most common symptom is anterior knee pain (pain in the front of the knee). Pain may also be experienced after prolonged sitting.

Treatments

• Functional foot Orthoses which re-align poor foot biomechanics and positively influence the knee position can assist.

• pull-on neoprene knee sleeves with patella donut will provide a controlling force around the patella and are often used in conjunction with physiotherapy strengthening of the thigh muscles