Women are More Susceptible to Knee Injury than Men, and Knee Problems in Women are Increasing The design of the female body makes women more susceptible to knee injuries and chronic knee pain than men, according to the December issue of Mayo Clinic Women s HealthSource. A woman s pelvis is wider than a man s and is designed to support a baby. That means a woman s thigh muscles stretch down to the knees at a steeper angle, causing more pull on the knee cap. This extra pull is often enough to tug a woman s knee cap out of the narrow groove in which it sits, causing a painful condition in the front of the knee called patellofemoral syndrome. Mayo Clinic Women s HealthSource also reports that knee problems in women are increasing, mirroring the rise in obesity and the growing number of women engaging in competitive sports.
Every extra pound can add four to eight pounds of additional pressure to knees.
Exercise regularly to promote strength and flexibility to the muscles that support your knees. Limit exercise and activities that place knees under extreme stress. If you can feel knee pain, the activity is probably putting too much stress on your knees. The December issue of Mayo Clinic Women s HealthSource also provides photos and examples of knee-protecting exercises.