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Nov 16, 2007 - Ilio-Tibial Band SyndromeBack
ILIO-TIBIAL BAND SYNDROME
Definition:
Ilio-Tibial Band Syndrome or ITB syndrome as it is more commonly known is pain along the entire length of the ITB, its origin or near its attachment on the outer part of the knee.
The ITB band takes its origin from a group of muscle around the hip joint including the buttock muscles.
It runs across the hip joint as it travels down the outside of the leg, past the outer side of the knee to insert into the lateral and anterior portion of the tibia (leg bone) just below the patella (knee cap). Irritation of this band gives rise to symptoms of a burning pain which usually develops with increased activity levels such as running and in sever cases walking.
Cause:
There are 2 main factors that can contribute to ITB syndrome.
Over pronation - when the foot pronates it leads to internal rotation of the leg and the thigh. If we over pronate the lower limbs pass through an increased range of these rotational movements. The ITB passes over the greater trochanter (the prominence of the femur / thigh bone near the hip joint) and also over the outer part of the knee joint which also has a bony prominence the (lateral femoral condyle). When rotational movements occur the ITB slides back and forth over these areas.
It is therefore easy to see that if there are increased rotational movements, these 2 areas will become a source of friction and give rise to the pain syndrome associated with the condition. A tight ITB - if the ITB is tight a similar stress may occur at these prominent sites leading to symptoms. Often we find there is a combination of the above two factors.
Treatment & Prevention:
ITB syndrome can be easily treated. The key is to determine what is causing the pain. Refer to section on over pronation for more information. A strict stretching regime is also a very important part of the rehabilitation process.
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