barbell. Oops.I became obsessed with what the human knee can and cannot do when one of mine shut down after a couple of days of modest runs over a nearby hill. The technical name for my injury was patellofemoral pain syndrome, otherwise known as PFPS

barbell. Oops.I became obsessed with what the human knee can and cannot do when one of mine shut down after a couple of days of modest runs over a nearby hill. The technical name for my injury was patellofemoral pain syndrome, otherwise known as PFPS

be other influences. Disruption of the ligaments within and outside of your knee, arthritis in its many forms and ankle, shin, thigh and hip injuries may all affect knee movement and produce secondary PFP.Self-treatmentOne factor in knee pain may

Q I’ve had knee pain for a few months now. My GP has explained that the patella has moved out of line and that I am experiencing bone grinding on bone when I run. Now it’s got worse, but my GP is in no hurry to refer me to a specialist, saying

at the moment, if you were ever to get any pain in your knee, it would be worth asking your GP to check for these possible problems at the same time.—Martin Haines, chartered physiotherapist and sports-injury specialist

Q Severe osteoarthritis in both knees has forced me to stop running. Some time ago I read about a pioneering operation that was performed on a professional footballer, in which sections of the knee cartilage were removed, regrown in a laboratory

Q It’s strange, but my right knee swells up, particularly on the lateral side, every 13 days. It lasts for three days before returning to normal. When swollen, the knee is tight and uncomfortable, but not painful. What’s going on

Q I used to train on grass and gravel, but since I’ve started running on the edge of the road I’ve noticed that the knee closest to the road as I run becomes sore. I can run through it, but afterwards I’m left with a dull ache in the knee, which

Q I visited a sports injuries clinic because of a sore knee and was told that one of my legs is slightly shorter than the other and that one of my knees does not turn inwards when my leg does. I’ve been given a heel raise for one shoe

Q Every time I run, my knee clicks loudly but painlessly. It’s annoying rather than painful. The noise comes from below and outside the kneecap. Is it, or the cartilage, damaged? I broke my kneecap when I was 12 – could this be a cause?A Your