Anterior knee pain can occur in your elite sports patients right through to office workers and weekend warriors. In this podcast with Kurt Lisle, we discuss anterior knee pain, the causes, how to diagnose the source of the pain, and the best ways to treat and rehabilitate these patients.

Kurt Lisle is the Australian Socceroos Physio and co-owner of The Knee Joint Physio in Queensland. Kurt and I discussed acute knee injuries on the Physio Edge podcast in episode 29, and I really wanted to get Kurt back on the podcast to discuss the anterior knee.

In this fantastic, detailed episode of the Physio Edge podcast, Kurt and I explore:

• Subjective clues that give you ideas about differential diagnosis
• Fat pad - location of pain, activities that irritate
• Patellofemoral joint - aggravating activities and DDx
• Patellar tendon - subjective clues, location of pain
• Objective examination of the anterior knee
• Tests for PFJ
• Functional tests first or examination on the treatment table?
• Palpation of the anterior knee
• Fat pad palpation and tests
• Is the fat pad tender medial and laterally, or can it be tender only on one aspect
• Neuromuscular patterning
• Squat and one leg squat examination
• What causes “catching” pain on movement
• Chondral defects - identifying
• Is there value in the grind test
• When to refer for MRI and other imaging
• Important factors that may contribute to AKP
• Gait contributors to AKP
• Treatment of PFJ pain
• Modifying PFJ aggravating activities
• Using EMG
• Quadricep rehabilitation and strengthening
• When to incorporate squats into your rehabilitation program
• The role of taping for PFJ or fat pad irritation
• Red flags causing knee pain

Links of Interest

• Kurt Lisle
• The Knee Joint Physiotherapy, Bokarina, QLD
• Socceroos
• Review the Physio Edge podcast in iTunes
• Clinical Edge