Course Description:

Knee pain is the second most common cause of chronic pain with One-third of all Americans
report experiencing knee pain at some time or another. Three of the most common causes of
knee pain are osteoarthritis (OA), patellofemoral pain (PFP), and ligament sprains. Knee
osteoarthritis is one of the most chronic debilitating conditions worldwide with high economic
costs, and an increased mortality in individuals with knee OA. This is a common condition for
any physical therapist treating in the out-patient setting. Therefore, a deep understanding of knee
OA is a critical part of the skill set of any physical therapist who is an orthopedic specialist.
PFP and ACL injuries are also extremely common conditions seen by orthopedic specialists.
Both of these conditions have high incidence and variable prognoses with >50% of people with
PFP reporting issues 5-8 years after treatment, and incidence of ACL second tear being 28%. In
2019, the APTA’s Academy of Orthopedics developed a clinical practice guideline for the
management of PFP. Likewise, a clinical practice guideline for knee ligament sprains was
developed in 2017.
This course reviews three cases of patients who present to physical therapy with complaints of
knee.