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When the femur head of sacroiliac joint is misaligned, the mechanics of the entire leg can be adversely affected. The most common mechanical fault is external femur head rotation. This results in abnormal stretch of the muscles that support the medial knee. Specifically, the sartorius (the longest muscle in the body) originates on the front of the hip and crosses the thigh to insert on the inside of the knee. Therefore hip misalignment can cause the entire knee to become weak and unstable because the kinetic muscular chain does not fire properly.
The presence of a pelvic mechanical dysfunction and femur head rotation can also result in ankle and foot problems; specifically external foot rotation and changes in the arch of the foot. How can you know if your knee pain is being caused by a hip problem? One way is to look for foot flare. It is normal for your feet to flare out slightly. Some people are quite aware of this problem and note an excessive foot flare on one side when they walk. Another way to diagnose this condition is to lie on your back and look down at your feet. Hopefully the degree of external rotation will be similar. Inspecting the shoes for asymetrical wear is also helpful.
Think of your body like a car. If you hit a pothole and throw your alignment out then the tires will wear abnormally. The fact is, if you are like most people, there is a high probability that you have misalignment and associated mechanical dysfunction somewhere in your body. This situation does not always result in pain due to your body's amazing compensatory mechanisms. If musculoskeletal pain is interfering with your lifestyle, the best corrective strategy is to see a biomechanical expert.