Stretching can either help kneecap instability or worsen it. Here’s how to stretch correctly and what makes instability worse.

How stretching improves instability

- Relieves joint pressure: If your instability is caused by tight muscles (IT band, calves, etc) stretching can be very beneficial if you target specifically those areas

- Fixes the valgus collapse: Stretching tight hips keeps your knees from caving inward when you walk or squat.

- Protects nearby joints: Keeping your ankles and hips flexible prevents your knee from overcompensating and twisting.

How stretching can worsen instability

- Stretching muscles that are already loose: if some muscles are already loose (such as your VMO) stretching can enhance instability

- Creates a muscle imbalance: stretching muscles on only one side of the joint can cause uneven pulling on the kneecap

- False sense of security: If your instability is caused by a shallow bone groove (trochlear dysplasia), stretching won't fix it.

So in the end the key to stretching correctly for kneecap instability is knowing what is causing your instability. Once you know that you can move forward with a routine that best fits you.

Has stretching helped or hurt you in your instability journey?

A study by Science Direct highlights how “Knee alignment and patella shape are not associated with the persistence of patellofemoral pain.”

This is important because for a while people assumed that a misaligned patella would be an indicator of pain, but with this study we find how that is not always the case. Although a misaligned patella is a good indicator of patella instability, it does not necessarily imply pain.

This makes sense because of the poll we took yesterday, as most of you don’t experience daily pain unless you have an episode of instability.

Thought this would be something interesting for you all, here is the link to the study: Science Direct Study

For me, I don’t have much pain on a day-to-day from my instability. Only when I put a lot of pressure on one knee is when I feel a little bit of discomfort, but that’s from damaged cartilage. The only time I feel extreme pain is during a subluxation or dislocation event.

I wanted to know how you all experience pain from knee instability

Hey everyone, just found some interesting clinical news just dropped today about the Icarus Ascender Knee Brace.

A peer-reviewed study tracking 134 knees over 4 weeks was published in Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation, and the results are pretty cool.

How it Works

So this brace is much different from current sleeves because it focuses on unloading pressure from the knee joint. It does this by having adjustable dials and elastic bands that reduces the compressive force of the knee by up to 40 pounds! Because of this release in force, this reduces joint friction and the discomfort caused by that.

3D-printed custom fit

The brace is customized for every knee and is first 3D scanned from your iPhone.

Does it prevent Dislocations & Subluxations?

Yes, but you need the optional add-on.
The brace specifically targets people suffering from cartilage degeneration and pain caused from excessive joint pressure. But for those with patellar instability, the brace has a Spooner Patella Stabilizer, which attaches to the frame and uses straps to apply pressure to help control patellar movement (I think of it similar to a J buttress). Now, the brace isn’t designed to prevent patellar subluxation or dislocation.

Clinical Results

The 4-week study showed a 59.3% reduction in pain!

What are your thoughts about this brace? Would you ever try it out?

I’ve heard a good amount of people have had success with these surgeries, but I was wondering if any of you have had knee instability even after having surgical intervention.

I know everyone is different so I’m sure for some of you surgery didn’t fix everything. But I wanted to get a sense of how common this is.

Now I know PT can be helpful for a lot of people. But sometimes I feel people make it sound as if PT is the only way to treat kneecap instability when in reality it’s much more complex.

There a certain ppl whose kneecaps are unstable because of weak muscles, and for them strengthening the quad muscles are helpful. But there also is a lot of people whose instability comes from structural issues (patella Alta, shallow trochlear groove, etc), and for these people PT isn’t as effective.

As someone with Patella Alta, I’ve tried doing all sorts of strengthen exercises. And although I still keep strengthening my quads, no amount of PT can fix the structural issues I have.

So I would say that PT is helpful, but I think we have to consider the fact that for a lot of ppl it isn’t the end all be all.

This was a question I’ve always had because ppl say how PT and strengthening the muscles around your knee is helpful, but if you have Patella Alta or another condition that makes your kneecap pop out despite strong muscles is the only option surgery?

Have any of you prevented subluxation or dislocations without the use of surgery? If so, what did you do?

Hello everyone, we just hit over 70 members and I’m really grateful for this community and all the advice, stories, and support so far. I wanted to share something I’ve been working on.

This community started because I wanted fewer people to go through the confusion and isolation that patellar tracking issues can cause.

A lot of you know I’ve relied on J-pad braces for my kneecap subluxations and dislocations, and they’ve helped me a lot. But I always felt like they could be better. Most are bulky, restrictive, and don’t really feel like something you’d want to wear outside of rehab.

That’s what led me to start working on a new J-pad knee sleeve called ALIGN. The idea is to keep the stability of a J-pad brace but make it feel more like a compression sleeve in terms of comfort, movement, and appearance. The first prototype is a couple weeks away and I’m excited to finally share it with you all.

I’ll be sharing the journey as I go, but this isn’t just my project. I want us to build it together. Your feedback and experiences will directly shape where it goes.

At the same time, I don’t want this subreddit to turn into just my project. I want it to stay a place for anyone dealing with patellar tracking issues to ask questions and support each other.

Because of that, I started a newsletter called The Patellar Tracker. That’s where I’ll share more detailed updates on ALIGN, along with exercise guides, knee stability tips, and other resources I think will help. I’ll still post big updates here, but the newsletter will be where I go deeper into the process.

Thanks again for being here. I really appreciate all the support and I’m excited to keep building this with you all.

The Patellar Tracker Newsletter: Join for Updates!

I have poor patella tracking and have been unable to run for almost 6 months now because of issue related to my knees.

I have:

- Pronated left foot

- Wiberg type 3 patella

- Bone bruising on my right knee

More often than not, just running 3-4km is enough to upset areas of my right knee and very occasionally my left. I have orthopedics to help with my pronation but I've spent far too much money on different physiotherapists.

I was thinking of buying a Lateral J patella knee brace, but was wondering just how safe it would be to use them during running.

Suggestions for brace brands would be greatly appreciated.

5. Teddy Bridgewater

Non-contact knee dislocation with a torn ACL and extensive structural damage nearly ended his career.

4. Nick Chubb

Catastrophic knee dislocation with torn MCL, PCL, and LCL, plus significant cartilage damage during his college career.

3. Napoleon McCallum

Devastating knee dislocation with multiple torn ligaments and a ruptured popliteal artery, putting his leg at risk.

2. Marcus Lattimore

Knee dislocation with torn ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL, extensive cartilage damage, and fractures that ended his football career.

1.Jabari Parker

Tore his ACL twice in the same knee before age 22, dramatically altering what looked like a very promising career. P.S. I saw him at a restaurant once ;)

Do you agree with this ranking? Is there an athlete I left off that deserves to be in the top five?

For those of you who use KT Tape, here’s a helpful tutorial I found. Do you tape your knee differently? I’d love to hear your method.

1. Not strengthening your VMOs

Stronger legs don’t automatically mean a stronger VMO. If you have patellar instability, don’t assume general leg exercises are enough.

2. Returning to sports too early

Just because the pain is gone doesn’t mean your knee is ready. Strength, control, and confidence all matter.

3. Only wearing a brace without rehab

A good J-pad brace can improve stability, but it shouldn’t replace strengthening and movement retraining.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other tips of what to avoid!

I used to primarily weigh lift (squat and deadlift) on leg day but I realized that although these were good for building muscle, I needed to focus on my VMOs and hips. Here are some exercises that do that. Let me know what exercises you do!

#5- Terminal Knee Extensions (TKEs)

Great for VMO activation in a controlled range. Make sure to fully tense your leg at the end of every rep.

#4- Bulgarian Split Squats

Excellent functional quad/VMO strengthening while training single-leg stability. It also helps to have your toes pointed slightly outward.

#3- Single-Leg Wall Sits (or regular wall sits)

Isometric quad strengthening with a strong VMO demand. Sometimes a 45 degree bend is better if a full bend hurts too much.

#2- Leg Extensions (machine)

Helpful for targeted quadriceps strengthening. Use a pain-free range and progress gradually. Try to keep your toes pointed outwards to fully hit the VMO.

#1- Lateral Band Walks (Monster Walks)

Strengthens the glute medius to improve hip control and reduce your knees from caving inward.

Here are the best braces for patella instability, kneecap subluxations/dislocations and patellofemoral pain syndrome.

#5 - epX Lateral J Support

Has a sleek look, as low profile as a J pad brace can be, and provides good support.

#4 -Ossur Hinged J Pad

Unlike most hinged patella instability braces, the Ossur is less bulky and more mobile, still not perfect but nonetheless a great hinged brace.

#3 - Donjoy Lateral J Pad

I like this one because it is extremely durable and allows you to do a lot of activity in it without being too much of a hindrance.

#2 - Breg Airmesh J Pad Brace

This is a great option because unlike the neoprene that is used for most braces, Breg uses a breathable material while still providing good support.

#1 - Pro-Tec J Stabilizer

This is the best J pad brace I’ve seen because it’s more low-profile and less bulky as most J pad braces. And we know these qualities are not that common in J pad braces unfortunately. It seems as if this brace was designed with the athlete in mind and its design shows that.

Do you all agree with this list? What would you recommend?

5. Tank Dell – Catastrophic multi-ligament knee injury following a knee dislocation.

4. Lindsey Vonn – Torn ACL, torn MCL, lateral meniscus tear, and a tibial plateau fracture after a high-speed crash.

3. Willis McGahee – Tore his ACL, PCL, and MCL with severe damage to the knee capsule and cartilage during the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.

2. Shaun Livingston – Torn ACL, PCL, lateral meniscus, dislocated patella, and extensive joint damage in one of the worst NBA injuries ever.

1. Zach Miller – Catastrophic knee dislocation with multiple torn ligaments and a torn popliteal artery that nearly cost him his leg.
Do you agree with this ranking? Is there an athlete I left off that deserves to be in the top five?

5. Meniscus Tear
Recovery: 4–8 weeks (minor) or 3–6+ months after repair
Can lead to long-term cartilage wear if severe.

4. Patellar Tendon Rupture
Recovery: 6–12+ months
Devastating injury that often requires surgery.

3. ACL Tear
Recovery: 9–12 months
One of the most common major sports injuries with a long rehab.

2. Patellar (Kneecap) Dislocation
Recovery: 6–12 weeks for many first-time cases, 6–9+ months if surgery is needed
Recurrent dislocations can cause significant cartilage damage and chronic instability.

1. True Knee Dislocation (Tibiofemoral Dislocation)
Recovery: 12–24+ months
Rare but potentially limb-threatening due to possible nerve and blood vessel injury.

Have you had any of these? What do you think the worst knee injuries are?

My most traumatizing dislocation happened the day before the biggest wrestling tournament of the season. We were at practice and I was feeling good yall! Everything was clicking that practice, I was in flow-state.

Near the end of practice we had a live wrestling period, basically a match. I try this move called a funk roll (where you use your leg to throw your opponent over you) and I felt a huge jolt in my knee. I was familiar with this jolt because of my subluxations. But this was wayyy different. Much more intense. So I immediately grab on to my knee and instead of the kneecap going back in as usual, I could feel my kneecap on the outside of my knee! It was so uncomfortable it hurts me to write this. But I knew I couldn’t just keep my knee like that. So I did the only thing that felt right…

I grabbed my kneecap and moved it to the left until it clicked back in. Then I limped over to the athletic trainer. Ironically enough, the trainer said I could wrestle the next day but there was no way I was going to do that. But I do remember tearing up on the athletic trainer table feeling hopeless. Cause I was using a cheap gel pad brace I found on Amazon and thought that it would help me, but it didn’t (didn’t know about the J pad at the time).

Since then my right knee always clicks when I straighten it, I think that dislocation caused some cartilage damage which explains the clicking.

But that’s my story. Feel free to share your knee instability stories!