While the knee is considered to be quite durable and can handle repeat
motion and a fair amount of wear and tear, this hinge joint with age and
use can wear down or become damaged, resulting in knee pain often described
as dull, aching, throbbing, sharp or a burning pain.
The precise location of your knee pain can help your knee surgeon better
determine the underlying cause. For example, problems in the knee joint
itself tend to result in pain on the inside (medial) or outside (lateral)
of your knee. Whereas, knee pain on the outside of your knee felt on the
front of the knee can be related to problems with the patella (knee cap).
Thigh or shin pain are typically caused by muscle, ligaments, tendons,
small tissue damage and/or nerves that surround the knee joint.
Your doctor will perform a physical examination and possibly order diagnostic
imaging to properly locate your pain and diagnose your condition.
Common Types of Knee Pain and Causes of Knee Pain
The most common causes of knee pain are related to aging, injury or repeated
stress on the knee. At Newport Orthopedic Institute our knee doctors are
either board certified orthopedic surgeons or sports medicine doctors
and are fellowship-trained to treat a range of knee injuries with both
conservative, nonsurgical treatments as well as surgical treatments.
ACL Injury: Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is the most commonly injured knee ligament.
It connects the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia).The ACL controls
rotation and forward movement of the shin bone.
Baker’s Cyst / Popliteal Cyst: Baker’s cysts are one of the most common disorders of the knee. These
fluid-filled cysts form a lump at the back of the knee that often causes
stiffness and discomfort. It can often result from osteoarthritis or a
meniscus tear – conditions that cause the joint to produce excess
fluid, which can lead to the formation of a cyst.
Chondromalacia Patellae/Patellofemoral Syndrome: This condition is also known as “runner’s knee” and is
a condition where the cartilage on the undersurface of the patella (kneecap)
deteriorates and softens. This condition is common among young, athletic
individuals, but may also occur in older adults who have arthritis of the knee.
Dislocated Knee: A knee dislocation occurs when the knee bones come out of place. This can
happen when there is a large impact to the knee, such as a fall, a collision,
or a car accident. This is considered an emergency and requires immediate
attention.
Dislocated Kneecap / Dislocated Patella: A dislocated kneecap (also referred to as a Dislocated Patella) only involves
misplacement of the patella, the flat bone that comprises the actual kneecap.
Whereas, a dislocated knee involves is when the large thigh bone (femur)
and shin bone (tibia) are moved out of place.
Knee Arthritis: Arthritis of the knee is inflammation to your knee joint causing pain,
swelling, and stiffness. This condition can make it difficult to perform
daily activities such as walking or climbing stairs.
Knee Cartilage Injuries / Torn Cartilage: Trauma to the knee can tear the menisci (pads of connective tissue that
act as shock absorbers and also enhance stability). Cartilage tears are
often caused by sports injuries, but can result from any activity involving
twisting or bending of the knee. The two most common types of knee cartilage
injuries are the articular cartilage tear and meniscus tears.
Knee Ligament Injuries: Knee ligaments connect the bones and cartilage and support the knee joint.
There are four main ligaments: The Medial collateral ligament (MCL), Lateral
Collateral Ligament (LCL). Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and Posterior
Cruciate Ligament (PCL). These 4 ligaments support and stabilize the knee
and they can be injured during a sports injury or other traumatic injury
such as a car accident. ACL injuries are one of the most common knee ligament injuries.
Knee Fracture: A Knee fracture typically occurs in older patients and in those dealing
with osteoporosis, a weakening of the bones due to age and other factors.
A fractured knee may occur after a traumatic injury or fall. It may also
occur as a result of a stress injury, which are most common in female
athletes who have an eating disorder, abnormal menstrual cycles and bone
weakening.
Knee Bursitis / Goosefoot: When the bursa becomes inflamed, the condition is referred to as knee bursitis,
but the pain is located in the groin area. This condition is not as common
as trochanteric bursitis, but is treated similarly.
Knee Tendonitis Knee Tendonitis is the inflammation or irritation of a tendon that connect
the femur and tibia bones or the tendons connected to your knee cap (quadriceps
tendonitis or patellar tendonitis). It is more common in athletes who
run, cycle or other high intensity sports. Common symptoms include tenderness
on the knee where the tendon starts and knee stiffness after long periods of rest.
IT Band Syndrome: Iliotibial Band (IT Band) Syndrome is the inflammation or swelling of the
iliotibial tract, also known as the IT band. The IT band is a strong,
thick band of tissue that extends from the hip to the knee down the outside
of your thigh. The IT band thickens at the knee. If the IT band is tight,
due to insufficient stretching before or after exercising, it can rub
excessively against the thighbone (femur) or iliotibial bursa inside the
knee. This continued rubbing can cause pain and swelling to the outside
of the knee. This syndrome is most common in athletes such as distance
runners or those new to exercise.
LCL Injury: Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) connects the thigh bone (femur) to the
fibula, the smaller bone of the lower leg on the outside of the knee.
The LCL provides stability and support to the outer knee.
MCL Injury: Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) links the thigh bone (femur) to the shin
bone (tibia) on the inside of the knee. The MCL provides stability to
the inner knee.
Meniscus Tear / Torn Meniscus: Meniscus tears affect the c-shaped shock absorbers located on either side
of your knee joint that act as a cushion between your shinbone and your
thighbone (menisci). Meniscus tears are typically associated to activities
that cause forceful twisting or rotating of the knee, especially when
the knee if fully weighted such as in athletes who play contact sports
like hockey or football. Common symptoms include pain, swelling and stiffness
of the knee and can restrict knee movement such as difficulty extending
the knee fully.
Osgood-Schlatter Disease: Osgood-Schlatter Disease is most commonly found in young athletes who play
sports requiring a lot of jumping or running. This condition causes pain,
swelling and inflammation below the knee joint, where the tendon from
the kneecap (patellar tendon) attaches to the top of the shin bone (tibia),
a spot called the tibial tuberosity.
Osteoarthritis of the Knee: Osteoarthritis damages the cartilage that cushions the bones of the Knee
joint. This typically arises in older patients due to wear and tear on
the joint. Knee Osteoarthritis causes the knee joint to stiffen and can
become quite painful.
Osteonecrosis of the Knee / Avascular Necrosis: Knee Osteonecrosis, also called avascular necrosis, occurs when the Kneebone
does not receive sufficient blood supply. A lack of normal blood supply
can damage the bone cells which diminishes the strength of the bone considerably
which can leave the bone susceptible to collapse and injury.
Patellar Tendonitis / Jumper’s Knee: Patellar Tendonitis causes inflammation of the tendon that connects the
patella (Kneebone) to the tibia (shinbone). The patellar tendon plays
a pivotal role in the way you use your leg muscles. Patellar tendonitis
is a common overuse injury caused by repetitive stress on your patellar
tendon. This stress can result in tiny tears and while your body attempts
to repair these tears, without proper rest from activities, more tears
can multiply, causing pain and inflammation and weakening of the tendon.
This condition is most commonly seen in athletes who do repetitive jumping
(basketball and volleyball) or in runners, hence the reason this is also
called Jumper’s Knee. Unlike patellofemoral pain, knee pain from
patellar tendonitis often decreases with time during activity as the tendon
“warms up.”
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome / Runner’s Knee: Patellofemoral pain syndrome is a common knee condition, which typically
affects senior athletes and those involved in running and jumping sports.
This syndrome is caused by abnormal contact and movement patterns of the
patella (kneecap) on the thigh bone (femur). This improper tracking causes
pain to the front or beneath the kneecap.
PCL Injury: Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) also links the thigh bone (femur) to
the shin bone (tibia) in the knee (like the ACL). PCL injuries are typically
caused by a blow to the knee while it’s bent such as an automobile
accident or falling on the knee while it’s bent. The PCL controls
backward movement of the shin bone.
Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Knee: Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease seen in older patients which
causes the body’s immune system to attack its own tissue resulting
in inflammation of the knee joint resulting in swelling, knee Pain and
stiffness of the knee joints. Left untreated, it can lead to knee joint
deformity which leads to difficulty performing regular activities such
as walking or climbing stairs.
Nonsurgical Treatment of Knee Pain
Most knee pain can be treated with conservative treatments including the
RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation). Your knee surgeon
may also recommend you try over-the-counter anti-inflammatories. Depending
on your diagnosis, your doctor may also prescribe physical therapy or
a cortisone steroid injection. The doctors at Newport Orthopedic Institute
will customize your treatment plan to alleviate your knee pain and get
you back to your normal activities.
Surgical Treatments for Knee Pain
While your knee surgeon will attempt to exhaust all nonsurgical treatments
to resolve your knee pain, if those treatments do not succeed you may
be a candidate for knee surgery. The board-certified orthopedic surgeons
at Newport Orthopedic Institute have been fellowship-trained to treat
a range of knee conditions with the latest evidence-based surgical treatment
options including:
*Please note that all physicians are listed in random order and search results are refreshed every hour to comply with Stark Law.
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