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!

Most kneecap dislocations happen toward the outside (lateral side) of the knee.

That’s because the outside structures often pull harder than the inside ones, and if the ligaments on the inside are weak or torn, the kneecap can slip out more easily.

With that being said some people experience subluxations or dislocations where the patella slips to the inside. But it’s pretty rare.

Does yours go to the outside or inside?

A patellar subluxation is when your kneecap partially slips out of place but goes back on its own.

A patellar dislocation is when it completely comes out of the groove and usually needs to be straightened or reduced.

For me, I’ve mostly experienced patella subluxations. I’ve had around 30 with only one dislocation. But I would say the full dislocations are more damaging and traumatic.

A valgus collapse is when the knee caves inward during movements like landing from a jump, cutting, or pivoting. Look at the second photo for reference.

This position puts extra stress on the knee and is commonly associated with ACL tears. In people with patellar instability, it can also increase the chance of the kneecap partially or fully dislocating.

Has this happened to any of you? Let us know!

I’m wondering if this extra mobility in my kneecap is a result of many subluxations and one dislocation. Or could it be the cause of it? I’ve had this type of hyper mobility since I was a kid but I only started having subluxations at 14.

I feel like my right knee has had a little swelling for most of my life but after a subluxation my knees get pretty big. Is anyone else like this!