So, I’ve been involved in athletics for about ten years now, currently I’m 20 years old. This year I underwent surgery on both knees. I had arthroscopy for synovial plica reduction and Hoffa’s fat pad reduction, diagnosed with patellar tendinitis and ACL issues.
The surgeries were in March and late May. I’ve completed physical therapy and exercise daily following the plan from DNS experts in Rijeka, but I still have pain.
My goal is to return to running as soon as possible because of my sports scholarship. Any advice? Thank you!
Anterior knee pain in running and jumping disciplines is a specific problem that has been the subject of numerous scientific papers and books. Our profession seeks to understand the causes of such issues, which are not always simple and localized only to the knee.
Namely, anterior knee pain in athletes is always the result of overuse of tissues in the knee extensor mechanism. We understand that intensive training is usually the cause of this overuse. However, the same training will not cause overuse in all athletes. This means that individual differences in various aspects of body form and function can contribute to the development of inflammation and pain. Thus, besides the condition of the knee itself, some specific characteristics of the hip, foot, and spine can create an environment where stress from training is not evenly distributed but rather focused on the knee, causing pain.
The surgery, I believe, addressed the local problem. In this case, the internal folds on the joint capsule and the fatty cushion called Hoffa’s body. It is possible that residual hip stiffness, altered spine kinematics, or some other of many possible conditions, which do not hurt by themselves but increase stress during running. It is also possible that postoperative scars, both internal and external, stimulate pain receptors and thus support pain.
I recommend seeing an experienced sports physiotherapist. They should be able to assess which of the possible issues are present in your case, advise you on how to address them, and thus alleviate the pain.
