Case 020: The Patella’s Complaint — Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (Runner’s Knee)

This one sits at the front of the knee — beneath and around the kneecap — and shows up where runners feel it most: stairs, long periods sitting, and downhill miles. It’s often labelled quickly as runner’s knee. But the real question isn’t what it’s called. It’s why it keeps coming back.

In this episode of The Foot Detective, we open the file on Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome — a load-driven condition shaped by how the knee, hip, and foot work together under pressure. We follow the clues through training spikes, poor hip control, quad mechanics, and foot pronation to uncover why the patella starts to complain — and why rest alone never fixes it.

This is not a story about a damaged kneecap. It’s a story ...