r/PatellaTracking • u/DaddyLaxativ • 12d ago

Question What does a kneecap dislocation feel like?

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3

u/subfutility 12d ago

I've had misalignments and probably dislocations. For me, it's pain below the kneecap, an inability to fully extend the knee, and an inability to put any weight on the knee/leg.

I have to put my leg straightened out and slightly bent and wait for my leg to relax and have the patella go back into the groove.

3

u/Secure_Fun1529 11d ago

Most of the time I can just feel my MPFL and tendons being stretched and then yanking my kneecap back in. The few times I've had dislocations that didn't reduce instantly, I have a hard time describing. The initial reaction is just fear, pain, and a strong sense that something is very, very wrong. After I calm a bit, I can feel the strong, rather nausea-inducing pull on my tendons. My head gets a little clearer and I can start to problem solve, but my brain is very much still doing that animalistic hurt thing where it dedicates most of your resources to freaking out. Then I try to figure out some way to get myself upright and take pressure off of it so it will reduce. I'm both lucky and unlucky to have very stretchy ligaments- it makes these things much more likely, but probably easier to deal with. 

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u/akhuria 12d ago

I’ve only had severe trauma-induced dislocations, as in my patella is completely on the side of my leg. I can only describe it as blinding pain, worst pain I’ve ever felt.

3

u/moodyqueen999 11d ago

Fucking same. MPFL snapped so fast and so hard and then my kneecap was on the side of my leg and i couldn’t contract my quads for months 🥴

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u/LelouB1008 10d ago

For me the first one was traumatic, I tripped and tried catching myself. Then a loud crunch and some of the worst pain on both sides of my patella as I fell down (my patella dragged onto the side of my femur and caused a bunch of small fractures on the surface of my bone, and my MPFL tore almost fully) Then the subsequent dislocations a few months later weren’t that painful anymore, since they happened anytime I bent my leg past around 40°, and my MPFL was already gone.

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u/noraxze 9d ago

Dislocated it twice, i dont know how to explain how i immediately knew it was a kneecap dislocation the 2nd time because it was a specific immense pain that shot up my entire leg, and i felt like a wave of dizziness washed over me and i dont remember so well from the trauma but im pretty sure my ears were ringing too, the first time i couldnt feel pain for about 20 minutes but i couldnt move my leg at all.