Cycling protects menisci and cartilage. This is why doctors use it in rehabilitation after knee operations or for wear and tear disorders. "There are no harmful impact loads on the bike. The residual cartilage is rolled through by the movement and supplied with nutrients," says Dr Bernd Krieg, a sports physician from Regensburg. He advises cyclists with pre-existing conditions such as osteoarthritis to avoid high forces due to high gear ratios and steep inclines and to choose lower gears and a higher cadence. But what about those people who have healthy joints but still complain of knee pain when cycling? "For the knee to function smoothly, the strength and flexibility of all the structures involved in the movement must be in harmony with each other," emphasises Regina Marunde, physiotherapist and osteopath from Berlin. When pedalling, the thigh, lower leg and kneecap move in a very complicated sequence of rolling and sliding in relation to each other. The joint is stabilised by short ligaments and long muscles that extend from the pelvis to the tibia and fibula. Under strain, the weakest link in this chain of movement becomes irritated. Sometimes the symptoms only occur on the bike - everyday life remains pain-free. To identify the cause, the therapist looks at the entire leg axis from the pelvis to the feet.
