Common Causes of Knee Pain

Knee pain can be caused by various different factors.  The 5 most common causes of knee pain are osteoarthritis, ligament injuries, meniscus tears, patellofemoral pain syndrome and tendonitis.  Each of these are different but some people have several different conditions at the same time.  The key to figuring out what one has is by a focused history and physical exam and radiologic studies as indicated by the history and exam.  

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition where the protective cartilage on the ends of the bone wears down over time.  It is associated with aging but can be due to prior trauma in younger people.  Common complaints with knee osteoarthritis is pain, stiffness and swelling.  With progression of knee osteoarthritis people can have progression of deformity (bow legged or knock kneed deformities).  Typically osteoarthritic pain is worse when one starts moving such as getting out of bed, getting up after sitting or getting out of a car.  This pain typically improves with movement but can worsen as the day progresses and many times aches at night. 

Ligament injuries is another common cause of knee pain.  The 4 main ligaments in the knee are the anterior cruciate ligament, the posterior cruciate ligament, the medial collateral ligament, and the lateral collateral ligament.  Injuries to these ligaments can result from a sudden twisting or impact injury.  This can cause pain and instability, the feeling that the knee is loose or unreliable.  Instability is often characterized by the knee giving war or buckling during weight bearing activities.

Meniscus tears are a very common cause of knee pain.  The meniscus is a rubbery, C-shaped disc that acts as a shock absorber between the thighbone and the shinbone.  A sudden twist or getting up from a squatting position can cause a tear in the meniscus.  Meniscus tears can cause pain, swelling and sometimes the feeling of locking or catching.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is the most common knee pain in younger people.  This is characterized by pain in the front of the knee, around the kneecap and is commonly seen in athletes.  This is typically seen in sports where there is repetitive jumping, squatting or lunging.  It is often caused by imbalances in muscle strength or alignment issues in the kneecap.  

Tendonitis is typically an overuse syndrome that can cause knee pain.  Tendons are the tissue that connect muscle to bone.  The two most common tendonitis at the knee is patellar tendonitis and quadriceps tendonitis.  These typically occur from repetitive activities like jumping or squatting.  Patellar tendonitis usually occurs at the bottom of the knee cap but can uncommonly occur at the tibial tubercle, the bony prominence located at the top of the shinbone just below the kneecap.  Quadriceps tendonitis occurs at the top of the knee cap.  Both of these conditions cause pain with activity that improves with rest.  

At Total Orthopedics and Sports Medicine we have musculoskeletal medical professionals who can make an accurate diagnosis of your knee pain targeting an appropriate treatment to best guarantee your success. We are award-winning Long Island orthopedic doctors and surgeons, sports medicine specialists and experts in our field. Contact us today to make an appointment so that we can help get you, back to you.