Key Takeaways
- Understanding anterior knee pain fall risk seniors is important for seniors and their caregivers.
- Anterior knee pain is a dull, aching pain that is most often felt in one or more location:
- Your health care provider will perform a physical exam.
- Resting the knee for a short period of time and taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin may help relieve pain.
- Anterior knee pain often improves with a change in activity, exercise therapy, and the use of NSAIDs.
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What Are the Common Causes and Risk Factors?
Understanding anterior knee pain fall risk seniors is important for seniors and their caregivers. your kneecap (patella) sits over the front of your knee joint. As you bend or straighten your knee, the underside of the patella glides over the bones that make up the knee.
Strong tendons help attach the kneecap to the bones and muscles that surround the knee. These tendons are called:
- The patellar tendon (where the kneecap attaches to the shin bone)
- The quadriceps tendon (where the thigh muscles attach to the top of the kneecap)
Anterior knee pain may occur when the kneecap does not move properly and rubs against the lower part of the thigh bone. This may occur because:
- The kneecap is in an abnormal position (also called poor alignment of the patellofemoral joint).
- There is tightness or weakness of the muscles on the front and back of your thigh.
- You are doing too much activity that places extra stress on the kneecap (such as running, jumping or twisting, skiing, or playing soccer).
- Your muscles are not balanced and your core muscles may be weaker.
- The groove in the thighbone where the kneecap normally rests is too shallow.
- You have flat feet.
- Your lower leg alignment is abnormal.
- Your core stability is weak and causes knee malalignment.
- Excess body weight or over activity increases the stress on your kneecap.
Anterior knee pain is more common in:
- People who are overweight
- People who have had a dislocation, fracture, or other injury to the kneecap
- Runners, jumpers, skiers, bicyclists, and soccer players who exercise often
- Teenagers and healthy young adults, more often girls
-
People who increase their activity level or training intensity
Other possible causes of anterior knee pain include:
- Arthritis
- Pinching of the inner lining of the knee during movement (called synovial impingement or plica syndrome)
What Are the Symptoms and Warning Signs?
Anterior knee pain is a dull, aching pain that is most often felt in one or more location:
- Behind the kneecap (patella)
- Below the kneecap
- On the sides of the kneecap
One common symptom is a grating or grinding feeling when the knee is flexed (when the ankle is brought closer to the back of the thigh).
Symptoms may be more noticeable with:
- Deep knee bends
- Going down stairs
- Running downhill
- Standing up from a squatting position or after sitting for a while
📖 What Are Exams and Tests?
What Are Exams and Tests?
Your health care provider will perform a physical exam. The knee may be tender and mildly swollen. Also, the kneecap may not be perfectly lined up with the thigh bone (femur).
When you flex your knee, you may feel a grinding feeling below the kneecap. Pressing the kneecap when the knee is straightening out may be painful.
Your provider may want you to do a single leg squat to look at muscle imbalance and your core stability.
X-rays
are often normal. However, a special x-ray view of the kneecap may show signs of arthritis or tilting.
MRI scans
are rarely needed.
📖 How Is It Treated?
How Is It Treated?
Resting the knee for a short period of time and taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin may help relieve pain.
Other things you can do to relieve anterior knee pain include:
- Change the way you exercise.
- Learn exercises to both strengthen and stretch the quadriceps and hamstring muscles.
- Learn exercises to strengthen your core.
- Lose weight (if you are overweight).
- Use special shoe inserts and support devices (orthotics) if you have flat feet.
- Tape your knee to realign the kneecap.
- Wear the correct running or sports shoes.
- Taping of your kneecap to improve tracking.
Rarely, surgery for pain behind the kneecap is needed. During the surgery:
- Kneecap cartilage that has been damaged may be removed.
- Changes may be made to the tendons to help the kneecap move more evenly.
- The kneecap may be realigned to allow for better joint movement.
📖 What Is Outlook (Prognosis)?
What Is Outlook (Prognosis)?
Anterior knee pain often improves with a change in activity, exercise therapy, and the use of NSAIDs. Surgery is rarely needed. However, if your knee has symptoms like instability or swelling, then you should see your provider.
📖 When to Contact a Medical Professional?
When to Contact a Medical Professional?
Contact your provider if you have symptoms of this disorder.
Patellofemoral syndrome; Chondromalacia patella; Runner’s knee; Patellar tendinitis; Jumper’s knee
-
Chondromalacia of the patella
-
Runners knee
Caldwell ME, Hamner T, Hupe J. Lower limb pain and dysfunction. In: Cifu DX, ed.
Braddom’s Physical Medicine Rehabilitation
. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2026:chap 37.
DeJour D, Saggin PRF, Kuhn VC. Disorders of the patellofemoral joint. In: Scott WN, ed.
Insall & Scott Surgery of the Knee
. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 65.
McCarthyM, McCarty EC, Frank RM. Patellofemoral pain. In: Miller MD, Thompson SR, eds.
DeLee, Drez, & Miller’s Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 106.
Wilson H, Middleton R, Price AJ. The knee. In: Hochberg MC, Gravallese EM, Smolen JS, van der Heijde D, Weinblatt ME, Weisman MH, eds.
Rheumatology
. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 83.
Updated by: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Chair, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dr. Peter and Sophie Pappas Endowed Chair, V-nee Yeh Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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Arthritis
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Knee Injuries and Disorders
Frequently Asked Questions
Key Takeaways
Your health care provider will perform a physical exam. Resting the knee for a short period of time and taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin may help relieve pain.
What Are the Common Causes and Risk Factors?
What Are the Symptoms and Warning Signs?
Behind the kneecap (patella)
Below the kneecap
On the sides of the kneecap
One common symptom is a grating or grinding feeling when the knee is flexed (when the ankle is brought closer to the back of the thigh). Symptoms may be more noticeable with:
Deep knee bends
Going down stairs
Running downhill
Standing up from a squatting position or after sitting for a while
📖 What Are Exams and Tests?
What Are Exams and Tests?
How Is It Treated?
Change the way you exercise. Learn exercises to both strengthen and stretch the quadriceps and hamstring muscles.
About the Author: This article was researched and written by the SilverWell Hub editorial team. It was medically reviewed by Dr. Sarah Mitchell, MD, Geriatrics.
Sources: This article is adapted from MedlinePlus, a service of the National Library of Medicine.
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only. See our full Medical Disclaimer.
Published: July 21, 2026 | Next review: January 2027
