Tight hip muscles cause patellar maltracking or tilt?

[Lanterne Rouge]

I wonder if the tight hip muscles have any affect on the patellar maltracking/tilting. I'm an amateur cyclist and my hip muscles are quite tight after the rides. I am having knee pains since 2,5 years.

[Swati]

I'm no doc but in my understanding, tight hips can cause patella maltracking. I have chondromalacia since August last year. I don't have sports doc in my area and the rest aren't able to help me much. With hit and trial, I discovered that I have tight hip flexors - stretching them improved my patella tracking.
 
Now, I'm planning to join a yoga class for improvement in that area. since I'm not able do much on my own.

I have also read that cycling causes tight hip flexors. So, you might have to stretch them well after your sessions.

HTH

[Kefu]

Yes it does. Tight and shortened hip flexors (TFL and psoas) can also IT band tightness which then causes patella tracking problems and the associated patello femoral pain.

My advice:
1) Spend less time sitting and more time standing. Sitting will tighten your hip flexors, if you sit all day stretching will do nothing except slow the progression of the the tightness.
2) Foam roll the rectus femoris, psoas, TFL and the interphase between the quads and IT band, follow this with stretching of the hip flexor, quad complex for 3 minutes. At the end use a contract and relax technique for 30 seconds or so (contract for 5 seconds, relax for 20, do this a few times).  Do this twice a day, for at least 15 minutes.
3) Try to decrease your biking, and make sure you sort this issue out before beginning again
4) strengthen your glute maximus, and glute medius. They are probably weakened and inactive, causing the TFL and psoas to remained shortened and tight. Glute med and max also contribute to patella tracking issues.