Climbings stairs places two to three times the body's weight on the knees, and the kneecap takes the majority of this excess pressure. Difficulty climbing stairs or lifting oneself out of a chair often relates to a problem with the patella and how it moves as the body rises. The back of the patella is lined with a thick layer of cartilage. If an accident or medical condition damage this cartilage, the injured individual will likely have problems with repetitive activities such as ascending stairs.

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