Well, it all started when I was born...no really, I was born with patellafemoral syndrome knees. Of course like most girls, I just thought I had ugly knock knees, and kept right on with my dancing and running and felt fine...until I was 19. I was in a dance class in college when my knees started to feel "funny." They didn't hurt, they just felt weird. I told my instructor, and she surprised me by saying "GO SEE A DOCTOR NOW!" And that's how the doctor run around began. After seeing various doctors, and having the time pass that changed the feeling in my knees from "weird" to "serious pain" the consensus was that I had Pattelafemoral syndrome. I did lots of leg lifts and taping for a while...it wasn't working. I was anxious to be well enough to go on a full-time mission for my church, so when a doc said he could try a latteral release, I instantly agreed. I had some terrible insurance issues (double coverage, and not one of them paid). But I had an awsome physical therapist. My surgeries were two moths apart, and my recovery was fast. I soon went on a mission to Portugal. If you've ever been to Portugal, you would know that there are stairs everywhere, and the sidewalks are all cobblestone...and as a missionary, I walked everywhere, all day long. So, about one year post-op. I started to get that weird feeling again, and then I started to find it hard to stand on one leg at all. And then came that old familiar pain. Finally my companion convinced me to call the mission doc. He had me on 1800 mg of Ibruprofin every day to deal with the inflamation...being that drugged up, I didn't feel anything...for a while. I started using one of those big umbrellas as a cane, and eventually the mission president sent me to get x-rays and see a serious doc. The hospital in Lisbon is soo fancy and everyone called me Dona Daisy. Well the results showed subluxing knees or "floating knee caps" - a result of the Lateral releases gone wrong. I finally looked down at my knees and noticed that when I straighten my leg my knee caps are in the upper inner corner, and when I bend them, my knee caps go to the outer lower corner. Okay, between that and the doctors orders not to go upstairs (hello, everyone in portugal lives upstairs)...they finally decided to send me home. Utterly heartbreaking. Back at home I saw the head orthopedic surgeon of the hospital. Again, exercises, again taping, we tried cortizone shots, and synvisc (so painful going in)...no good...but he scares me silly from getting surgery, saying I'll end up worse off than I am, so I leave the state in pursuit of my career deciding just to deal with it. After all I sit at a desk all day for my job. But as time has passed, I'm getting frustrated again. I'm 24, and my my husband and I are talking about having children...and I don't think I can handle the weight gain of pregnancy, nor the kneeling and chasing of small children. I often go to the grocery store, or library, and end up in too much pain to keep walking...and it's not just that, I get grouchy when I'm in pain, and that effects my marriage. Recently my family doc prescribed tylenol with codein to address the pain because he feared what all the ibruprofin was doing to my stomach. He also said I should seek out some sort exercise because while being sedentary helps me not to hurt, it doesn't help the rest of my overall health. I've just begun to timidly start trying to use a gazell, followed by ice and pain killers. I'm going to see a knee specialist in a week, and I can't believe it, but I'm going to ask about getting a TTT, or some other drastic measure to help me. I'm hoping that all the time money and pain will be worth it in the end. I'm trying to stay happy and hopeful, but I'm afraid I'm rather jaded with the whole situation and the whole medical world. I'd be happy to hear from anyone who has (or had) floating knee caps. I'd also love to hear from anyone that has had a TTT to know how successful it was.

I am 25 years old and extremely active. Everything from climbing to combative martial arts. I had a lot of trouble dislocating my knee especially over the past year. Since October of 2004, I've had I believe three dislocations, a host of subluxations, (you know, where the patella seems to pop out but comes back in). My knee locks up sometimes, I mean locks, to the point where I have to muster some strength to get it to straighten, you can hear a thump! Then it swells and I go about my day. I've been in and out of physical therapy. It's probably important for me to note that I'm in the military and am once again back in therapy. I've seen 2-3 doctors and 4-6 physical therapists over the past months. I've heard that due to my dislocations I may have meniscul tears, an ACL tear all kinds of stuff. I'm also an avid swimmer. When I crawlstroke(freestyle) I can feel almost hear subluxations of the knee cap. What does this mean for extremely active people who want/need the ability to compete. Anyone???

I am a 19 year old female who was diagnosed four months ago (December) with patella femoral syndrome, and had dislocated my knee cap. I had dislocated it twice a few years earlier but had no serious reprocussions so I hadn't even seen a doctor(I had popped it back in myself). After the diagnosis I underwent a month of physical therapy and wore a knee brace during any physical activity. Then I dislocated my knee again and the doctor recommended patella-realignment surgery but I also decided to undergo more physical therapy. I am currently in therapy but I dislocated my knee yet again, only two weeks into therapy. Should I get the surgery? I am/was very active with a variaty of sports and wanto to return to as many of them as possible as soon as possible. Any feedback would be great!

I have had problems with my knees since i was 8 now i'm 17. My left knee dislocated three times and i have had subluxation on both knees numerous times. In October 18 i had patellar realignment surgery on my left knee since my left knee is worse, but a couple days ago i had subluxation on my newly operated knee!!! It was horrible i felt so depressed and worried. My doctor said surgery was the last option. I tried physical therapy but that didn't seem to work. I am so tired of having problems with my knees. I am so limited with the things i can do. It's so embarrasing b/c somtimes i'll be walking and i'll have subluxation and i fall right then there wherever and whenever in front of everyone. Please help me if you have any information i don't want to have to worry about my knees for the rest of my life.

I have read everyone else's story and am glad and dismayed that I am not alone. I have been dislocating since 1977-nine times so far and have had many of the procedures/surgerys listed. I wear a knee brace 24/7 and still dislocated again this week. I can sometimes get the knee cap back in myself if I can do it in the split second before the pain reaches my brain which makes the whole experience no less painful but much more tolerable. I have been to numerous OS and the surgical procedure that is an option now sounds debilatating for far too long for something that only has a slight chance of helping. Has anyone had any success with non-surgical options; a brace that works, acupunture, massage, voodoo....ANYTHING?? Also, has anyone found an OS who thinks outside the box and might be willing to work on a non-surgical alternative? Thanks. Wendy artiles@earthlink.net

Both of my knees "pop out", as I call it. My nanny had it, my dad has it, I have it, along with my little sister. I have had 2major surgeries on my right knee (7 years and 17)along with 1 orthroscopic, and one major surgery on my left (9 years). Both of knees still go out occassionally, but I am thankful that I can walk 10 feet without the excrutiating pain of knees dislocating. Wish I could write more.

6 years ago, I dislocated my knee when working on a farm haymaking. It happened when my left leg slipped between the stacked bails and my right leg up at an odd angle was then hit by a bale being thrown towards me from the trailer my someone who didn't notice my predicament. As it hit my right knee there was a loud pop. I don't know why, but i put it back into place myself and then I was taken to hospital. I was left on a bed for ages and then a doctor gave me a quick look over and moved my leg around, asked me to stand etc. I was in extreme pain. He told me that I was ok and gave me a sheet with 3 different exercises and then said I could go. I was wheeled back into the waiting room and dumped there. I had to somehow walk to the phone and call for someone to come and get me. I even now, don't know how I made it there, I was in such pain. I did the exercises and gradually over a year felt better. However my knee always felt spongy and clicked when getting up and sometimes when walking too. Now 6 years later it suddenly seems to be getting worse. It clicks when i go upstairs and feels very painful when exercising doing lunges or squats. Cycling too hurt and causes it to click and feel odd. It's stopping me do the things I used to take for granted. I recently started at a gym, but that only made it hurt more later. Should i have a proper programme of exercises that will strenghen the leg or is this my lot for life? Has anyone had a similar experience, I would love to hear from you. I wonder whether it needs surgery or whether something never fully recovered. Please email me.

I have not injured my knee but when I kneel down on it or crouch down it goes out. It does not hurt while it is going out. When I stand up on the leg it hurts alot and I can't walk on it so I have to put the leg up on a chair and I pop it back into place by pushing on the outside of the leg. I feel pain walking on the leg for the next couple of minutes but then it feels okay but the next day I feel pain around the knee cap like if you had a charlie horse in your leg the night before. I am seeing an orthepedic. I have had a xray on the left leg, an MRI and tomorrow I am having a Cat-scan at diffrent angels on it because the Xray and the MRI don't really show what the definite problem is. It has gone out 7 times since Memorial day weekend. I am in my 40's. I have heard that this happens to boys and girls in the range of 10-16 years of age. I want to know if anybody older than the boys and girls in the above range have had this happen to them and what have they done about it. Please email me if this has happened to you or someone you know. Thanks

I am a male aged 20 and would appreciate any advice on recovery from a dislocated patella and removal of a loose body via arthroscopy. Fifteen months ago I dislocated my patella playing badmington. A tiny fragment of the femur split during the diclocation. I was put in plaster for 3 weeks. Two months later I had made a good recovery but unfortunately experienced another dislocation (came out and went straight back in). I recovered after a few days but and after another year my knee felt much stronger and I could walk up stairs again. I had a slight clicking and occassionally my knee would lock and not straighten fully. A week ago I tripped and had another partial dislocation (went straight back in). I could walk ok after one day. My kneecap is very loose and my muscle is very wasted even though I have cycled every day for the last year. I have just had my first MRI scan and have been advised that I have a 1/2 cm loose fragment (from the chip of the femur) in the joint. My consultant has advised removal via arthroscopy and smoothing of the rough cartiliage. Has anyone experienced the same problem? Would you advise removal of the loose body? How can I build up the muscle to prevent another dislocation? What are the risks of the operation. Thanks for your help. Any emails appreciated.

I have had 9 surgeries between my two knees. I have bi-lateral dislocation that has existed all of my life. This however, does not happen at random times. It occurs every time that I extent either of my legs. Generally when I bend my knee again, my patella will return to its correct location. I have had a total of three lateral releases as well as many other surgeries. My doctors are frustrated as well as I. I am now only 25 and can barely walk. I am told that I am too young for replacements, and the only relieve that can be given is from cleaning my knees up. I have tremendous wear underneath my knees from the constant movement and it can be tremendously painful. It is now affecting my hips from compensating. Does anyone have any suggestions or thoughts?