
People Likely To Suffer From Fat Pad Impingement
- People who engage in sports or activities where a forceful blow to the knee is highly likely such as hockey, martial arts, football, soccer, and rugby.
- People who have suffered from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. An ACL injury decreases the stability of the knee, which makes the fat pad more prone to impingement.
- People who have had a history of hyperextension in the knee area.
- People suffering from Iliotibial Band Syndrome (overuse injury of the connective tissues that are located on the outer thigh and knee).
- Runners who have flat feet (also known as excessive pronation) or have muscle weakness/imbalance around their hip muscles.
Symptoms Of Fat Pad Impingement
- Pain When Extending The Knee
- Pain After Walking In High Heels
- Pain After Walking, Kicking, Climbing Stairs Or Squatting For Long Hours
- Knee Pain Especially On The Front Of The Knee, Just Below The Kneecap (Infrapatella Pain)
- Inflammation And Swelling On The Kneecap And Below The Kneecap
- Pain After Standing On Hyperextended Knees For Extended Periods
- The symptoms stated above are not a definite indication that one is suffering from fat pad impingement. These symptoms are also characteristics of other knee conditions such as patellofemoral joint pain syndrome and patellar tendonitis. It is therefore advisable to visit the Physiotherapist for a more in-depth examination and accurate diagnosis.
Treatment
Knee pain treatment includes:
- Use cold therapy or apply ice to the knee to reduce knee pain and inflammation. Application of the ice should not be directly on the skin to avoid skin burns. Instead, one should wrap the ice in a tea towel or use recommended knee wraps.
- Rest and avoiding activities that may strain the knees is another way of treating the condition.
- A physiotherapist may also use electrotherapy such as TENS and ultrasound to treat fat pad impingement.
- A patient should also carry out exercises that strengthen the knee muscles. The exercises should not cause excessive strain to the knee. These will be prescribed to you by your physiotherapist.
- Taking anti-inflammatory medications prescribed by the doctor.
- Taping the kneecap is also an effective treatment for treating the condition since it helps create more space for the fat pad, therefore minimising the stress on it.
- In some scenarios a steroid injection to the knee may be considered to help reduce inflammation and pain.
In some exceptional cases where conservative methods fail, then surgery may be advised. Surgery may involve complete or partial removal of the fat pad.
Fat Pad Impingement Diagnosis
After visiting a physiotherapist for examination, they will conduct various tests to determine if one is suffering from fat pad impingement. One of the tests they will carry out is the Hoffa’s test that involves contracting the quadriceps muscles and then moving the kneecap. A doctor may also consider using an MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) to check for fat pad impingement.
Contact us or book online today to get your knee pain back under control!
J. Press
Physiotherapist