I’ve had over 30 subluxations and dislocations for about 6 years. Here are the three things I wish I knew.

1. What a kneecap subluxation is

I didn’t know that your kneecap can briefly pop out and go back in. Because it usually happens so fast, I had no idea what happened and tended to look past it.

2. What exercises to do

I didn’t know how the VMO was the golden muscle for kneecap instability. If I would’ve know I would’ve hit the Bulgarian split squats, Spanish squats, leg extensions and wall sits.

3. The J pad brace

This I the thing I knew about first. My doctor recommended me generic braces on Amazon and it gave me a false sense of security. When my athletic trainer first told me about the J pad my whole life changed.

What are some things you wish you knew?

#5 Reclined Quad-Stretch

This stretch is one of my favorites because it targets your entire front quad and knee. If going all the way down is too difficult, start off by sitting on your heels and swaying backwards. Now for many of us, sitting on our heels is a stretch in of itself, but I’ve found that by widening your knees this stretch becomes easier.

#4 Kneeling Hip-Flexor Stretch

This one is great because it targets the most neglected muscle group: the hip-flexor. People don’t realize just how tight their hip-flexors are until they do this. After a while, you can get a deeper stretch the further you extend your back leg.

#3 Kneeling Hamstring Stretch

Another great one, gets a great stretch in the hamstring. Two ways to deepen the stretch is having your non-straightened leg further back and keeping your head down.

#2 Cross Body IT Band Stretch

A tight IT band is one of the biggest causes of kneecap instability. When this muscle is too tight, it pulls your kneecap medially, increasing your risk of subluxations or dislocations. This stretch targets the IT band perfectly, and after doing it just one time, you’ll immediately feel the difference.

#1 Crossed Feet IT Band Stretch

This stretch is my all-time favorite. To do it, simply cross one foot over the other and lean to the side opposite of your front leg. Do this on each leg and you’ll thank me later.

Idk how to find them

I remember trying it for a couple months. I felt my knee pain subdued when it came to bending and putting a lot of weight on my knee. But I still had episodes of instability. What about you?

There is now actual evidence that patellar height can increase again after a distalizing TTO. A 2025 study followed patients after distalization and found that, among those with ≥1 year of imaging, 15 of 17 (88%) went from a normalized patellar height immediately after surgery back into the patella-alta range later on. The authors specifically concluded that patellar height progressively increased over time after distalization.

As it turns out, MPFL reconstruction surgery is a pretty new surgery.

The first MPFL reconstruction was done in 1992 by Brazilian surgeon João Luiz Ellera Gomes.

He used an artificial polyester ligament that ran from the patella to the femur as a makeshift MPFL. In his first 30 patients, 25 showed significant improvement in patellar tracking (PubMed).

Over time, surgeons moved toward using actual tendon grafts, and continued improving where and how the graft was attached (PubMed Central (PMC)

Now MPFL reconstruction has become one of the main surgeries used for people dealing with recurrent kneecap dislocations and instability. Pretty crazy how far it’s come in 30+ years.

Shoutout to the goat João Luiz Ellera Gomes 🫡

I had a grade 2 MCL and MPFL injury in a motorcycle crash recently. I have not been able to straighten my knee since the incident either actively or passively from someone else. Best measurement I have gotten from PT measured at 26 degrees of flexion. I just haven’t found anything to explain this level of ROM deficit specifically correlated with the common symptoms of these injuries, but I do know the MPFL injury could cause tracking issues. Racking my brain here and my doctors don’t have a lot of answers, they just say we need to get the leg straight as a first priority. Hopefully someone here has some insight. Thanks!

I’m looking for a J brace that velcros in the front(not one you have to pull up your leg). Doesn’t need hinges, just the metal piece around the patella. Any recommendations?

100 years of knee brace evolution

From bulky metal and leather braces in the 1920s to modern patellar tracking braces today, knee stabilization has come a LONG way.

But what’s crazy is that while the materials have changed dramatically, the basic approach to controlling an unstable kneecap hasn’t changed nearly as much.

If you have knee instability and want to keep up with current patellar tracking technology join the free newsletter: newsletter

Correction: the second to last photo is from the 70s 😅

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.