Patellofemoral syndrome

Written by Dr Sheila Strover on March 14, 2025

Patellofemoral syndrome is pain experienced around the kneecap and which may be caused by a combination of several possible factors.

Non-specific diagnosis

A syndrome is a collection of related symptoms. In patellofemoral syndrome the pain is felt in the region of the kneecap, but the root cause may be elsewhere, causing an imbalance of forces that affect kneecap tracking - it is important that the clinician tries to identify what is causing the pain. A common cause is knock knees (dynamic valgus) with flat feet.