Knee pain - Causes and Symptoms

Definition

Knee pain (or knee pain) is a symptom that recognizes various causes.

The simultaneous presence of joint effusion, swelling (swelling), pain at mobilization (active or passive) and tenderness at the level of the joint line, suggests an intra-articular leg pain. Possible causes are inflammatory arthritis, osteoarthritis and pathological causes (sprains, ligament or meniscus injury).

In adolescents, pain is normally due to Osgood Schlatter syndrome (osteochondrosis of the anterior tibial apophysis).

If, on the other hand, knee pain occurs in an elderly person, it is probably osteoporosis or arthrosis.

Knee pain can also be caused by progressive degeneration of the cartilage of the knee due to overweight or functional overload.

Other conditions that can cause knee pain are avascular necrosis, hemarthrosis (a classic finding in the case of hemophilia), osteomyelitis and most bone tumors.

Gonalgia due to extra-articular causes may depend on foot problems (excessive pronation or supination during walking or running), hip or lumbar spine.

Other processes that cause knee pain include patellar tendonitis (also called a jumper's knee; injury from abuse), patellar chondromalacia (or runner's knee; patella cartilage pathology) or bursitis (laundress's knee).

Knee pain can also occur during systemic conditions, as in the case of some infectious and rheumatic diseases (eg gout and rheumatoid arthritis).