Patella Dislocation is a knee injury that can regularly occur in sports that involve twisting motions of the knee, and where the patella (knee cap) is dislodged laterally out of the patellofemoral groove at the front of the knee.

Its is an injury that is most common in younger athletes, between 16-20 years old, but can also occur randomly by impact in contact sports.

Perhaps the most watched patella dislocation injury in the AFL history, was when Sydney Swan footballer, Daryn Cresswell, dislocated his kneecap and was trying desperately to knock it back into place.

Patella Instability is also a condition that is not as common as some of the injuries that we have covered so far, but can either cause excruciating pain if dislodged, or restricting athlete discomfort if the patella is not tracking properly in the patellofemoral groove.

In this article of the SportStrap “How to Strap” series, I’d like to take a closer look at the injury itself, and how to strap for patella dislocation and instability.

How is the Patella Injured

There are varing degrees of Patella injuries from Patella Subluxation through to Patella Dislocation.

Patella Sublaxation is where the an unstable patella, or knee cap, does not track centrally in the groove at the end of the thigh bone as the knee bend, causing discomfort to the sides of the knee. This can be common in younger athletes, and can be hereditary.

Patella Dislocation is where the knee cap is dislodged for the groove, and it normally occurs in two ways:

1. A direct impact to the front of the knee, knocking the patella laterally out of place.
2. Quadriceps tendons & ligaments attached to the patella act awkwardly during twisting motions of the knee, forcing the patella out of place.

Below is a video showing a great technique for strapping Patella Instability using Sports Tape, by highly experienced Sports Trainer, Cam Wray. Enjoy!

How to Strap for Patella Instability

The video shows a easy to follow method, that gives great support to the patella, while giving the athlete plenty of unrestricted movement.

In this technique the knee is in a relaxed straight position, with the tape applied as follows:

• Two anchors are applied around the top of the Calf and the bottom of the Hamstring with Rigid Strapping Tape.
• Then using the McConnell taping technique, or J-Tape to the outside of the knee. This method involves applying strips of Rigid Tape to the outside of the knee in a J shape, starting from the top anchor on the outside, down beside the kneecap and across and under to the inner side of the bottom anchor. Remember to apply a bit of pressure to the knee cap, with the tape tension, to keep the knee cap in the central position.
• Alternate this method by starting from the bottom anchor on the outside, up beside the kneecap and across and over to the inner side of the top anchor. Apply 2-3 layers.
• Finish of by wrapping the knee with Elastic Adhesive Bandage, but remembering to avoid the crook of the knee (for player comfort)
• Then tape or any bits that may roll up during activity with rigid tape.

This method is great for injury prevention, recovery from an existing injury or for temporary relief from patella instability. With any injury of this nature, it is recommend to seek professional advice, and physical therapy can also assist with proper injury prevention or recovery.

As well as using the correct patella taping technique, its also important to use quality supplies, so lets have a look at what is needed to complete the job.

What items do you need to Strap for Patella Instability?

 To strap a patella properly, you are going to need the following items:

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