Knee pain affects one-third of all adolescents. In fact, patellofemoral pain (PFP) itself affects 7% of the adolescent population. In sports
populations, the prevalence may be even higher. Compared with adolescents without knee pain, adolescents with knee pain have long-standing pain and reduction in health-related quality of life.
Knee pain is often considered a natural part of adolescence. Often we considered knee pain to be a problem that will go away over time.
A recent study looked at 2200 15 to 19 year olds. It appears that knee pain in adolescents might not resolve spontaneously. 55.9% of those who reported knee pain at baseline also reported pain 2 years later. Adolescents with PFP were significantly more likely to reduce or stop sports participation compared with adolescents who report other types of knee pain.
Source: American Journal of Sports Medicine, May 2016
