Patellar subluxation is a broad term that covers a wide range of conditions including patellar dislocation, tilting and gliding.
The patella slots into a groove at the end of the thigh bone, called the trochlear groove. It slides up and down along this groove as you bend and straighten your knee.
For individuals with kneecap instability, the patella sometimes becomes displaced from this groove. If the displacement is partial, the condition is known as patellar subluxation. If it is total, you have suffered a patellar dislocation. In either event, your condition can be classified as patella instability.
Symptoms
Symptoms of patella instability may include difficulty walking on the affected knee and a buckling or locking sensation in the knee. In addition, you may experience pain underneath the kneecap, especially when performing activities that require deep knee bends. For individuals whose kneecap has become completely displaced, surgery may be necessary to restore it to its rightful place.
Treatment
If your patella subluxation or dislocation is an initial case and there is no indication that it is a chronic issue, doctors may try to treat the problem conservatively.
Conservative treatments will usually involve rest, use of pain relief medication and wearing a special type of knee brace known as a patella stabilizer.
However, if you have suffered repeated dislocations or subluxations, this may be an indication of chronic patella instability. This can be due to damaged knee cartilage or ligaments, in which case your doctor may need to operate to remove the underlying causes.
The Mueller Sports Medicine Hg80 Hinged Knee Brace is made of extremely comfortable fabric with maximum medial-lateral support to help protect weak or injured knees. Mueller-exclusive HydraCinn® fabric, Triaxial Hinges, tibial containment system, inner anti-slip strips, flatlock seams, form-fitting hourglass design, fully adjustable and comfortable fit.
The Mueller Sports Medicine Hg80 Knee Stabilizer is an ultra comfortable knee support that uses Mueller’s HydraCinn fabric. HydraCinn is a latex and neoprene free moisture wicking material with an antimicrobial barrier. The Knee Stabilizer has steel springs on either side of the knee to provide stability while permitting knee flexion and extension. You will have all the support you need without any restriction of your range of motion. An excellent choice to help you control a sublaxating patella or to provide support for a stiff, sore or unstable knee.
The Mueller Sports Medicine Hg80 Premium Hinged Knee Brace has lightweight and neoprene-free breathable fabric with maximum medial-lateral support to help protect weak or injured knees.
The Mueller Hg80 Premium Knee Stabilizer has lightweight and neoprene-free breathable fabric with maximum medial-lateral support to help protect weak or injured knees.
The LP Hinged Knee Stabilizer uses hinges to provide maximum protection from ligament damage and also has an EVA ring to help you avoid dislocating your kneecap.
The McDavid Knee Support With Stays features padded buttress to support the patella, spring steel stays to provide reinforced support and elastic hook and loop straps to ensure an outstanding fit. There is an exterior layer of nylon fabric for durability.
The McDavid Knee Support With Stays & Cross Straps has reinforced spring steel stays to offer superior medial-lateral stability and confidence. It also includes elastic cross straps for enhanced compression and for collateral ligament support. The padded open buttress offers 360˚ support of the patella.
The Bio Skin Patella Stabilizer is an effective choice for treating patellar instability, anterior knee pain and other knee problems. Its donut shaped buttresses help to stabilize your patella and control swelling away while you remain comfortable and cool even during extended wearing periods.
The Bio Skin Patella Stabilizer with Conforma Hinge will help to treat anterior knee pain and other patellar instability related knee problems. Constructed from Bio Skin’s patented, breathable materials, the Stabilizer gives excellent compression to control swelling and decrease pain in the knee. The donut shaped buttresses stabilize the patella and help keep swelling away from the knee joint. The brace has a lightweight and comfortable hinge to help address problems of knee joint instability..
The Bio Skin Premium J combines function, comfort and affordability with a buttress around the patella to help prevent patella subluxation and knee dislocation. It also features dual elastic straps criss-crossing the knee to help seat the patella in its trochlear groove for less patellofemoral pain.
The Bio Skin Premium J with Conforma hinge combines function, comfort and affordability with a buttress around the patella to help prevent patella subluxation and knee dislocation. It also features dual elastic straps criss-crossing the knee to help seat the patella in its trochlear groove for less patellofemoral pain.
The Bio Skin Q Brace will help to reduce the pain of mild to moderate patellar tracking problems. It uses a T Strap to exert gentle pressure on your patella to help prevent subluxation (dislocation) and keep the patella in its proper position.
The Bio Skin Q Brace will help to reduce the pain of mild to moderate patellar tracking problems. It uses a T Strap to exert gentle pressure on your patella to help prevent subluxation (dislocation) and keep the patella in its proper position.
The Bio Skin Q Brace with Conforma Hinge helps reduce the pain of mild to moderate patellar tracking problems. Its t-strap exerts gentle, lateral pressure on your patella to prevent subluxation (dislocation) and to keep it in its proper position. The patented and ultra light and thin Conforma Hinge provides additional stability to those who need it.
The Bio Skin Q Brace with Conforma Hinge – Front Closure will help to reduce the pain of mild to moderate patellar tracking problems. It uses a T Strap to exert gentle pressure on your patella to help prevent subluxation (dislocation) and keep the patella in its proper position. An ultra light hinge helps add additional knee stability to wear or unstable knees and the front closure design simplifies application and removal.
The Bio Skin Q Lok will help to reduce the effects of and support the rehabilitation of patellofemoral pain. Using a superior compression and strapping system, the Q Lok pushes the patella back into its correct position in the knee’s trochlear notch, which decreases pain and wear on the joint.
The Bio Skin Q Lok Front Closure helps to reduce the effects of patellar tracking problems and patellofemoral pain due to improper tracking between the patella (knee-cap) and the femur. It uses high levels of compression and a unique strapping system to push the patella back into its correct position in the trochlear notch.
The LP Standard Knee Support – Open Patella uses an oval pad for additional padding and protection to your knee. A reinforced stabilizer surrounds the kneecap and helps to prevent kneecap displacement. The Standard Knee Support is helpful for dealing with postoperative knee problems, arthritis, strains and for protecting you from abrasions. The brace uses…
The LP X-Tremus Knee Brace targets the entire knee and provides maximum support with it’s 3-Dimensional knitting structure and donut shaped silicone pad combined with close circle high-density knitted fabric to improve patella stability.Other key features include bilateral spiral stays to support your knee, a double C pattern Stable Contoured Structure adjacent to the knee cap for extra joint stability, and a Y pattern Magic Power Band to conserves energy consumption during flexion and extension movements. Available in sizes Small to 3X-Large.