Why does the top of my patella hurt?

Overuse, falls, or repeated bending and kneeling can irritate the bursa on top of your kneecap. That leads to pain and swelling. Doctors call this prepatellar bursitis.

How do you relieve pain on the top of your knee?

To help relieve your pain and speed recovery, you can:

Rest your knee.
Ice your knee to ease pain and swelling.
Wrap your knee.
Elevate your leg on a pillow when you sit or lie down.
Take NSAIDs, if needed, like ibuprofen or naproxen.
Do stretching and strengthening exercises, especially for your quadriceps muscles.

What does pain at the top of your knee mean?

Common causes of pain above your knee include quadricep or hamstring tendonitis, arthritis, and knee bursitis.

What ligament is above the kneecap?

Above the kneecap, the tendon of the quadriceps femoris muscle attaches to the femur, or thighbone. The patellar ligament not only helps keep the kneecap in its proper position but also assists in the bending of the leg at the knee. Damage to this ligament can include a complete rupture (tearing).

What ligament is on top of knee?

Muscles are connected to bones by tendons. The patellar tendon attaches the bottom of the kneecap (patella) to the top of the shinbone (tibia). When a structure connects one bone to another, it is actually a ligament, so the patellar tendon is sometimes called the patellar ligament.

What tendon is on top of knee?

The quadriceps tendon is located just above the kneecap (patella) and connects the quadriceps muscles in the front of the thigh to the top of the kneecap. The patellar tendon is located just below the kneecap. It connects the kneecap to the shinbone (tibia).

What is on top of kneecap?

The quadriceps tendon connects the muscles on the front of the thigh to the top of the kneecap, whereas the hamstring tendons connect the muscles of the back of the thigh to the top of the tibia.

What does quad tendonitis feel like?

What does the condition feel like? Pain from quadriceps tendonitis is felt in the area at the bottom of the thigh, just above the patella. The pain is most noticeable when you move your knee. The more you move your knee, the more tenderness develops in the area of the tendon attachment above the kneecap.