Knee dislocation and flat feet

Hello. I was wondering if any literature existed outlining whether having flat feet is a contributing factor to the dislocation of the patella. Thanks.

Not sure however I believe that flatter the foot the less the chance of patella dislocation as there is less torsion on the knee as you land on the foot. Less torsion (rotation) of the tibia would reduce the valgus strain on the knee joint and therefore keep the patella in a more neutral alignment.

Hello Kris_sordo,
basing on the new patho-mechanical theory of

Christopher Powers (

Christopher M. Powers, PT, PhD - MoveForwardPT.com) about the patellofemoral pain, I think that the flat feet it's not the primary cause of the dislocation of the patella but it could contribute to that.
When you land on the flat foot, there is a pronation of the sub-talar joint that is mechanical coupled with an excessive external rotation of the tibia and internal rotation of the femur. These movements can increase the Q-angle and thereby increase either the pain and the lateral bowstring force on the patella.

Try to check the Christopher Powers' studies.


Best regards

Agostino