About your knee

The knee is formed by the femur (thigh bone), the tibia (shin bone) and the patella (the knee cap). It is essentially a hinge joint that is held in place by the medial collateral (MCL), lateral collateral (LCL), anterior cruciate (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligaments (PCL).

Most of us have heard that women athletes are more prone to suffering from a traumatic knee injury. But what most people don't know is that you don't have to be a weekend warrior to end up with a serious knee problem. Each year, roughly 10 million women see their doctors for knee pain, often caused by activities that are not related to sports, such as lifting boxes, going up a flight of stairs or squatting too much while gardening.

 

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Why are women winding up with more knee injuries? Researchers suspect one of the most likely causes is the way women are built. Women tend to have wider hips and are slightly knock-kneed (their thighbones tend to curve inward from the hip to the knee) and this alignment can create added stress on the joints. Another cause could be traced to a woman's muscles. More often, women tend to use their leg muscles differently than men.

Here are some common knee problems women encounter and tips from UCSF orthopedic surgeons and knee specialists on how to prevent them:

Problem: Patella or kneecap pain (pain in the front of the kneecap)

When working properly, your patella should glide straight up and down as you extend your leg. But sometimes the kneecap slides slightly off track and rubs against the bone and cartilage nearby. This can lead to pain and swelling in front of the knee and behind the kneecap. You can also hear a crackling noise.

Solution

To prevent pain, it's important to build up muscle endurance and strengthen the quadriceps muscles in the front of your leg. You'll also need to stretch the muscles and tendons that may be tight such as the hamstrings (in the back of the leg) and the iliotibial band (on the outer side of the leg). It is also wise to avoid activities that may aggravate the kneecap, such as climbing stairs, running up and down hills and squatting excessively.

Problem: Meniscus tears

The meniscus is a crescent-shaped piece of cartilage acts as the cushion for the knee. You have two menisci in each knee. When the meniscus breaks down, the torn pieces can cause irritation that leads to pain and swelling on either the inner (medial) or outer (lateral) side of the knee, depending on which meniscus is torn.

Solution

If you have meniscus pain, be sure to ice your knee and take an anti-inflammatory to keep the swelling down. Work on stretching and strengthening your legs. If pain persists after long bouts of activity, it's best to see your doctor for a full evaluation.