Article Sections

Introduction

Overuse injuries of the knee result from repetitive microtrauma that exceeds the body's ability to repair tissue, leading to pain and dysfunction.  These injuries are common in athletes and individuals who engage in repetitive activities involving the knee.  Common knee overuse injuries include patellofemoral pain syndrome, iliotibial band syndrome, patellar tendinopathy, and bursitis.

Traumatic knee injuries are described in more detail in a separate article.

Pathophysiology

The primary mechanism behind overuse injuries is repetitive microtrauma, which causes chronic low-grade inflammation and tissue damage.  This repetitive stress can result in failure of the tissue to repair mechanisms, leading to degeneration of tendons, ligaments, and cartilage.

Risk factors

  • Anatomical abnormalities:  leg-length discrepancy, malalignment of the lower extremities (eg, genu valgum or varum), patellar maltracking, or patellar alignment issues

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