Knee pain
Alternative names:
pain in the knee(s)
Definition:
Any pain in the knee.
Considerations:
Knee pain is a fairly common complaint. The majority of knee pain complaints stem from use trauma, are fairly acute, and resolve without treatment or with mild pain medications.
Significant trauma with torn or ruptured ligaments results in both pain and an unstable knee joint. The knee is also the site of other types of injuries such as dislocation of the knee-cap (patella), patellar bursitis, joint effusions.
Pain may be referred to the knee from the hip as in Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, where the actual disease is in the hip but the first symptom may be knee pain. Other conditions that can lead to knee pain are infection in the joint (septic joint), arthritis, blood in the knee joint (hemarthrosis), bone tumors, Baker cyst, and Osgood-Schlatter disease.
Moderate exercise (such as walking ) does NOT cause knee problems. If the knee is not injured, exercise is generally good for the knee. Side stresses, which the knee is not engineered to withstand very well, cause most knee injuries.
Uneven cartilage wear can cause the leg to bow in or bow out. Being overweight can also contribute to knee problems.
Common causes:
Note: There may be other causes of knee pain. This list is not all inclusive, and the causes are not presented in order of likelihood. The causes of this symptom can include unlikely diseases and medications. Furthermore, the causes may vary based on age and gender of the affected person, as well as on the specific characteristics of the symptom such as location, quality, time course, aggravating factors, relieving factors, and associated complaints. Use the Symptom Analysis option to explore the possible explanations for knee pain, occurring alone or in combination with other problems.
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