What To Expect At Your Office Visit
Your provider will perform a physical exam, and look at your knees, hips, legs, and other joints.
Your provider may do the following tests:
- MRI of the knee if a ligament or meniscus tear could be the cause
- CT scan of the knee
- Joint fluid culture
Your provider may inject a steroid into your knee to reduce pain and inflammation.
You may need to learn stretching and strengthening exercises. You also may need to see a podiatrist to be fitted for orthotics.
In some cases, you may need surgery.
What Causes Swelling At Front Of Knee
These anatomic locations are the most common areas of anterior knee pain. Sometimes, a generalized swelling within the knee can make these tissues irritated, while other times there is an underlying source of pathology in other locations of the knee, which causes knee swelling and makes these tissues irritated. It is important to have a thorough physical exam to determine other concurrent pathology to best make a decision as to whether one needs activity modification, physiotherapy, steroid or biologic injections, bracing , or a surgical procedure. The physical exam must be intertwined with the use of radiographs and possibly an MRI scan to best make the diagnosis and predict ones ability to have resolution of their front knee pain.
Housemaid’s Knee Due To Other Causes
Most episodes of housemaid’s knee will settle with supportive treatment and do not require medicines or surgery.
Supportive treatmentThe following may be suggested:
- Resting the knee.
- The use of ice packs on the knee .
- For kneeling, the use of a thick foam cushion or knee pads – these can help to prevent the condition from coming back.
- A physiotherapist can help by teaching you some exercises if your knee joint is affected by a reduced range of movement.
- A stick or a cane can help with walking.
Treatment using medicinesNon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , such as ibuprofen, can be taken for mild-to-moderate pain caused by housemaid’s knee. These also help to reduce inflammation.
If housemaid’s knee becomes more troublesome, your doctor may suggest that they draw out the fluid from the bursa, using a small needle. They can then inject a steroid medicine into the bursa to counteract the inflammation. The idea is that the fluid will no longer accumulate. Infection must be excluded beforehand, as the steroid injection can make any pre-existing infection worse. You are unlikely to develop complications after this procedure. However, occasionally the following may occur:
- The inflammation of the bursa can come back.
- You can develop infection, bleeding or damage to the tendon joined to the kneecap.
Surgical treatmentIn rare cases when housemaid’s knee does not go away, or keeps coming back and is causing intolerable symptoms, surgery may be necessary.
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What Are The Treatments For Knee Cap Pain
Patellofemoral pain is difficult to treat and is notorious for grumbling on for long periods. Non-surgical treatment should always be tried first and this includes physiotherapy, exercises, weight loss, orthotics, knee injections, and a knee cap brace.
Surgery for the treatment of a sore knee cap is with knee arthroscopy for lateral release, or Tibial Tubercle Transfer . Dr Colvin, orthopaedic surgeon in Perth, can advise you on the surgical treatment options if non-surgical treatment has been unsuccessful.
If you have any questions about knee surgery options in Perth, please get in touch with the Western Orthopaedic Clinic to with the orthopaedic surgeon.
What Are The Symptoms Of A Knee Ligament Injury
If you have injured one or more of the ligaments in your knee, the symptoms are likely to be similar regardless of the ligament that is injured. The severity of the symptoms depends on the degree of the injury to the ligament. For example, a ligament that is completely torn may produce more in the way of symptoms than a ligament that is just sprained.
Symptoms can include:
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Is The Sound That My Knee Makes Bad
As we reviewed in a popular post about the sounds that our knees make, we discussed that the majority of these sounds are not mechanical or dangerous! That means that you are probably not bone on bone or grinding away the insides of your knee when you bend it. Yes, these sounds can be annoying or even embarrassing, but they are rarely dangerous. The most common cause of this grinding sensation or sound is actually due to inflammation of the tissues inside the knee. You do not need cortisone or lubricating injections to treat these sounds or sensations.
For Tendinitis Runners Knee Gout And Bursitis
The treatment for conditions that cause swelling, redness, and dull, burning pain usually starts with resting the joint. Ice your knee to control swelling. Elevate and stay off your joint to promote healing.
Your doctor may recommend or prescribe NSAIDs like ibuprofen. Lifestyle changes, such as wearing protective kneepads and going to physical therapy, can help you manage pain and experience fewer symptoms.
You may need to make changes to your diet, especially if youre treating gout.
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What Is The Prognosis For Chondromalacia Patella
Individuals suffering from knee pain caused by chondromalacia patella often make a full recovery. Recovery can be as fast as a month or take years, depending on the case. Many long-term recoveries occur in teenagers because their bones are still growing. Symptoms tend to disappear once adulthood is reached.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 10/06/2014.
References
The Anatomy Of The Knee
Let’s start with a quick review of the knee before we hone in on the inner knee area, as each part of this joint is intrinsically connected to the rest.
- Bones: The bones of the knee joint include the femur , tibia , and the patella . They give the knee structure.
- Muscles: The muscles involved in the knee joint include the quadriceps , hamstrings , and the calf muscles . These muscles allow for movements like standing, sitting, walking, jumping, running, and flexing.
- Tendons: The tendons of the knee attach muscle to bone and include the quadriceps tendon that connects the quadriceps muscle to the kneecap and the patellar tendon that attaches the kneecap to the shinbone .
- Ligaments: Ligaments are connective fibers that attach bone to bone, and after the dubiously named patellar tendon, there are four main ligaments of the knee: the ACL that runs centrally through the joint connecting the thigh and shin bones the PCL that is larger and stronger than the ACL and runs along the back of the knee between thigh and shin bone the LCL that stabilizes the outside of the knee and the MCL that stabilizes the inside of the knee.
- Tissues: Other connective tissues in the knee include cartilage caps that prevent the thigh and shin bone from grinding together, the meniscus that sits between those cartilage caps, and the knee bursae .
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What Causes Pain Under The Knee Cap
Pain under the kneecap can be due to a number of problems. If the pain is felt on the back of the kneecap it is usually a problem with the cartilage on the back of the patella, most typically Chondromalacia Patella or Runners Knee. The pain tends to come on gradually and gets worse after sitting for a while or doing lots of exercise.
If the pain is felt below the kneecap, the most common causes are patellar tendonitis or infrapatellar bursitis.
What Medical Conditions Cause Knee Pain
Medical conditions
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition that can affect any joint in the body. It can cause severe pain and disability, as well as swelling.
Gout is a form of arthritis that is most commonly found in the big toe, though it can also affect the knee. Gout tends to flare up and is extremely painful during the acute episodes. When there is no flare-up, the knee can be pain free.
With , the knee joint can become infected this leads to pain, swelling, and fever. This condition requires antibiotics and drainage treatments as soon as possible.
Chronic use/overuse conditions
Patellar tendinitis is an inflammation of the tendons connecting the kneecap to the shinbone . Patellar tendinitis is a chronic condition often found in individuals repeating the same motion during exercise .
Patellofemoral pain syndrome is caused by degeneration or stress under the kneecap where it meets the thighbone . Patellofemoral pain syndrome occurs in runners and cyclists.
Osteoarthritis: a wearing down of cartilage of the joint due to use and age
Prepatellar bursitis: Inflammation to the bursa in front of the kneecap may cause anterior knee pain.
Other causes
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Causes Of Outer Knee Pain
Like the inside of your knee, the outside or lateral portion of the joint is a crossroads of many different anatomical structures. This can make getting to the bottom of pain in this area equally frustrating. If you have soreness near the lateral part of your knee, the most frequently seen causes are listed below.
What Does A Knee Injury Feel Like
Obviously, it hurts! But the type of pain and where you feel it can vary, depending on what the problem is. You may have:
- Pain, usually when you bend or straighten the knee
- Swelling
- Trouble putting weight on the knee
- Problems moving your knee
- Knee buckling or âlockingâ
If you have these symptoms, see your doctor. They will check your knee. You may also need X-rays or an MRI to see more detail of the joint.
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How Is A Knee Ligament Injury Diagnosed
If you feel that you may have a knee ligament injury, you should see a doctor. Your doctor will usually start by asking you questions about the injury, what happened and where you are feeling any pain. They may then examine your knee to look for signs of swelling of your knee joint. They may also move your leg into different positions to test your knee ligaments. From this examination, they may be able to get an idea of the possible injury that you have.
If your doctor is concerned that you may have a more serious knee ligament injury, they may refer you for further tests such as an ultrasound scan or a magnetic resonance imaging scan. Such tests should be able to show up any tears or rupture of your ligaments. Sometimes, an X-ray of your knee may be suggested, if they suspect a fracture.
If you have a lot of swelling of your knee after your injury, doctors may sometimes suggest draining off some of the fluid that is causing the swelling in your knee. To do this, a needle can be used to pierce the skin around your knee and the fluid can be drained off into a syringe attached to the needle. Special precautions are taken to keep the area and the procedure sterile so as not to introduce infection into your knee joint.
Housemaid’s Knee Caused By Infection
If your doctor suspects that your housemaid’s knee is caused by infection, they may draw some fluid from your knee, as described above. They can send this fluid off to the laboratory for tests. Whilst waiting for the results, they may prescribe some antibiotics for you to take , or co-amoxiclav). Usually, these antibiotics can be taken by mouth. If the infection is severe, your doctor may suggest that you be admitted to hospital and given antibiotics into your veins .
When the doctor receives the results back from the laboratory after a couple of days, they may suggest that your antibiotics be changed. They should now know the antibiotic that is most likely to be effective in treating the infection.
If your symptoms do not seem to be improving despite 36-48 hours of antibiotics, your doctor may suggest that a small cut should be made on the front of your knee. This will allow the infected fluid to drain out from the bursa. The procedure may require referral to hospital but does not normally mean an overnight stay.
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Medial Collateral Ligament Injury
The medial collateral ligament runs along the outside of your inner knee to stabilize the joint. If the ligament overstretches, you may have an MCL sprain.
The MCL can also tear partially or fully. An MCL injury most commonly occurs after force is applied to the outer knee, such as in contact sports.
Symptoms of an MCL injury include:
Other Forms Of Tendonitis
Other inflamed tendons around the knee may also lead to pain in the front of the knee. The quadriceps and hamstring tendons, if involved, may also result in knee pain.
The quadriceps tendon connects the muscles on the front of the thigh to the top of the kneecap, whereas the hamstring tendons connect the muscles of the back of the thigh to the top of the tibia.
Damage to and inflammation of any of these tendons can also cause pain in the front of the knee.
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Other Inner Knee Pain Treatments
If your inner knee pain worsens after several days, or if basic at-home remedies dont alleviate symptoms, you should go see your doctor.
Some treatment methods for more serious knee injuries include:
- Steroid injection. This injection is used to treat pes anserine bursitis.
- Physical therapy. Therapy often involves stretching, exercises, and ultrasound therapy.
Sharp Knee Pain Causes By Activity
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Coping Strategies For Runners With Anterior Knee Pain:
- A shorter stride: a shorter stride allows you to control your pelvic drop better.
- A higher cadence : This also minimizes your pelvic drop and other gait abnormalities.
- Avoiding hilly terrain until the pain has lessened.
- Progressive, intelligent training. Consider using apps such as HRV4Training, Training Peaks or TrainAsOne.
- Patella taping: See the video at the end of this post.
- Orthotics or shoe inserts: These have been shown to work in some of you.
- Prevention: Keep your glutes/ hip abductors / core strong. See the exercise videos at the end of this post.
Stretch And Strengthen Your Quads
Staying active throughout your life is an essential part of maintaining healthy bones and joints for improved mobility and quality of life.
Working on strengthening your quadricep muscles can be especially beneficial for knee and joint health and may even help to reduce the risk of osteoarthritis and cartilage loss. If you are not working your quadriceps enough they can become weak and tense and this can in turn decrease knee function by putting more strain on the knee.
Before getting into working out make sure you start with some stretching before working your way into more strength based exercises. If you want to add an extra challenge you can add resistance bands or weights to your quad exercises.
Be cautious if you do experience knee problems or pain to consult with your doctor before starting any new exercises.
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Home Care For Knee Pain
The following self-care measures may help to reduce knee pain in some teens.
- Rest: Reducing knee strain by avoiding high-impact activities may help in recovery.
- Ice packs: This may help to reduce inflammation and pain. You may use it for less than 20 minutes at a time.
- Heat pack: This may help to relieve pain in some teens.
- Compression bandage: A breathable compression bandage may help prevent fluid build-up and provide better stability for the knees.
- Elevation: Keeping legs on a pillow or using a recliner may reduce swelling.
Pain On Inner Side Of Knee: What Could It Mean
Knee injuries are quite common in sports medicine and can be caused by an accident, injury, or the wear-and-tear of aging. The first step in making a full recovery is identifying the cause of knee pain right away before the injury worsens and possibly becomes irreversible. If you’re looking for what may cause pain on the inner side of the knee, look no further: we have a comprehensive review of what may underlie your inner knee pain below.
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