Pain in outer kneecap?

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s4life
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by s4life

Anyone experienced this? I felt a surge of pain in my left outer kneecap at the end of my last long distance ride. I'd like to know what are the most common causes for this symptom? saddle positioning? bad form when pedaling? I thinkI've got an idea, but would like to hear from someone who's got experience with this.

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Martin.F
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by Martin.F

Usually saddle position and/or longer/harder ride than what your body is trained for.

http://www.bikedynamics.co.uk/kneepain.htm

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CulBaire
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by CulBaire

As above I reckon your seat post or saddle may have slipped. I had a similar problem not two weeks ago where toward the end of a long ride my knee started to hurt, I later discovered my saddle had cracked during the ride subsequently lowering my position on the bike by a few mm putting my knee out.

drmutley
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by drmutley

The cause of the pain will be due to increased loading through your lateral articular facet of your patellar. Common issues include saddle too high, collapsing arch, cleat too inwardly rotated, too much setback, amongst a hundred more..,,

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LEC135
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by LEC135

Firstly - I'm no doctor.

That said I had a very similar sounding problem after 3 or so hours of riding. I went to a physio and was cured in one visit. It was a tight IT band that runs from the outside of my hip to the outside of my knee. Where the IT band connects back to the bone (at the knee) it lies on top of another small ligament and if the IT band is too tight it rubs against the ligament and after a period of time inflames and becomes very painful.

I was given a few stretches to do and told unless it continues no need to and 3 years on it's never come back.

s4life
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by s4life

Yes I had the IT band issue when I was a runner, but I thing the treatment worked back then. It might have been saddle positioning. This will teach me never to trust fitting rules too much, they are made for a person that doesn't exist after all.

chipomarc
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by chipomarc

Wrong, the pain is not in your outer kneecap, you have rheumatoid arthritis and need knee joint replacement as soon as possible !

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prendrefeu
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by prendrefeu

s4life, you mentioned "fitting rules" - did you set your bike's saddle height and other contact point locations based off of recommendations on the internet, or some online calculator?
Or did you go and get a proper fitting from a recommended professional in your area?
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s4life
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Joined: Sun Sep 01, 2013 7:27 am

by s4life

prendrefeu wrote:s4life, you mentioned "fitting rules" - did you set your bike's saddle height and other contact point locations based off of recommendations on the internet, or some online calculator?
Or did you go and get a proper fitting from a recommended professional in your area?


I did both, but the fitting is as good as the person doing the fitting -- and he wasn't too bright -- so I didn't get much better advice than the internet. I will try again with someone more qualified.

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Mr.Gib
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by Mr.Gib

Likely what your experiencing is Patello-Femoral Pain Syndrome. There can be a variety of causes but the one cause you can actually do something about is too much tightness in the lateral quad group including IT band and not enough strength in the Vastus Medialis.

Read this thread - it will give you an idea of what is going on and how to fix it. Even if the diagnosis is wrong, all this stuff is good for you:
http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=11620&hilit=patello+femoral

As to bike fit, as long as it is half decent it shouldn't be an issue.
wheelsONfire wrote: When we ride disc brakes the whole deal of braking is just like a leaving a fart. It happens and then it's over. Nothing planned and nothing to get nervous for.

User Name
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by User Name

Yep, cycling works the outer quads (etc) more than the inner, leading to the outer getting stronger and tighter.
As "Gibbo" :thumbup: says, PTF syndrome treatment should give you plenty of tips for stretches are massaging.

As well as working the outer quads, IT band and glutes, it's also handy to massage the tensor fascia latae (oooh, i like the fancy version of spelling that :D), and even the tibialis anterior.

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by User Name

Mr.Gib wrote:
Read this thread - it will give you an idea of what is going on and how to fix it. Even if the diagnosis is wrong, all this stuff is good for you:
http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=11620&hilit=patello+femoral

.
How's ya knee? That's a good idea about using an electrode device to strengthen the medialis.

You might've seen me posting this before, but I've had great results for my chondromalacia (mine was/is pain just below the knee cap) by doing straight leg raises (with very light weight) to tone the middle quads, which helps the cap track "quicker".

s4life
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by s4life

Thanks for the link, but you know how's the internet.. I might indeed thinking I have femur cancer or something after I am done reading everything.. LOL. I'll start doing after-workout stretches.. I feel my IT bands problems from when I was a runner are coming back. Fitting feels nice and easy right now. no numbness anywhere even after 50 miles, just the slight pain sometimes -- more so when I do climbing.

Cheers,
Axel

Mr.Gib wrote:Likely what your experiencing is Patello-Femoral Pain Syndrome. There can be a variety of causes but the one cause you can actually do something about is too much tightness in the lateral quad group including IT band and not enough strength in the Vastus Medialis.

Read this thread - it will give you an idea of what is going on and how to fix it. Even if the diagnosis is wrong, all this stuff is good for you:
http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=11620&hilit=patello+femoral

As to bike fit, as long as it is half decent it shouldn't be an issue.

RM27
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by RM27

Mine was due to saddle position. Could also be cleat slipping from original position.

Ragamuffin
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by Ragamuffin

I've had this before as well, my issue was due to (poor) adjustment of my cleat. Cleat/saddle/seatpost adjustment will all likely result in a similar issue in which you are incorrectly stretching/compressing ligaments in your knees and causing pain.

by Weenie


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