Why perform patellar mobilisations?
The patella is central to all movement in the knee as the muscles causing bending and straightening cause it to glide up and down its underlying groove.
If it is tethered down to adjacent structures by inflammatory adhesions, the knee will no longer be able to properly bend and straighten. When adhesions mature to proper scar tissue, the condition is known as arthrofibrosis which is very challenging to treat.
How do patellar mobilisations work?
Gently stretching all the tissues around the patella in the early stages after injury or surgery will break any sticky adhesions there. If they are not freed, they can go from being adhesions into scar tissue, and scar tissue contracts and the knee can become very stiff.
Trying to exercise will then become very painful. The kneecap can gradually be pulled down into an abnormal position called patella baja.
Relevant links on KNEEguru
A-Z Keywords - Adhesions, Stiff knee, Arthrofibrosis, Patella baja, Range of motion
Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egq_iUp_MZM
Forum discussions
- What is Patella Mobes? - Mobes, Patellar Mobes, Patellar Mobilisations - this discussion will put it all into perspective.