A portion of the general population is subject to these disorders, which include:
Patellofemoral syndrome (patella mistracks in femoral groove);

Excessive torsional deformity of the tibia;

High or lateral position of the patella;

Shallow femoral trochlea;

Atrophy of vastus medialus oblique muscle;

Increased quadriceps angle (often in those with wide hips);

Over-development of the vastus lateralis muscles;

Flat feet;

Excessive pronation of the feet (feet turn up to the side).

Behind the patella is a layer of articular cartilage-the thickest layer of cartilage found in any of the joints of the body.

Until recently, we did not know that cartilage is directly treatable by trigger point injections and Prolotherapy. We knew the benefits Prolotherapy offered in adjoining soft tissue, due to the strengthening of the supporting ligaments and tendons, which keep the joints properly aligned and thereby protect the cartilage from erosion caused by friction.

A recent study, showed that Prolotherapy stimulates the growth of articulate cartilage. (Reeves KD, Hassanein K. Randomized prospective double-blind placebo-controlled study of dextrose prolotherapy for knee osteoarthritis with or without ACL laxity. Altern Ther Health Med 2000 Mar;6(2):68-74, 77-80. )

In this study, people who had knee arthritis, and, who suffered from knee pain for an average of eight years or more, received Prolotherapy over a six month period. Important to note is that 35% of the knees examined for the study had no cartilage remaining in one or more major compartments.

The results? Thirty-five percent (35%) reduction of pain, 45% improvement in swelling and 67% improvement in knee buckling as well as a 13 degree improvement in knee range of motion.

Prolotherapy works on most knee problems with excellent results. Only in the case of a completely torn ligament is Prolotherapy somewhat limited. If there is a partial tear (sometimes on MRI these may look like complete tears) Prolotherapy maybe able to reconstruct the ligament and strengthen the joint. But even with a complete tear, Prolotherapy is extremely beneficial because an impact with enough force to completely rupture a ligament will also loosen the entire knee structure. Prolotherapy in this situation can strengthen the surrounding tissues giving the patient a better chance of long-term success. It is rare that a patient who is not active in sports or a competitive athlete needs ACL surgery. Many athletes function on an ACL deficient knee.