The knee pain can be categorized into three:
- Caused due to acute injury
- Due to any existing medical conditions
- Aging or chronic overuse
Knee pain due to acute injury:
Direct impact: The knee joint may get injured due to a direct impact. With a direct blow there may be a fracture to one of the bones or the bone itself may break. The fracture not only causes pain but also causes disruption to the joint functioning.
Ligament injury: Ligament injury is mostly due to a sports-related injury. The anterior cruciate ligament is commonly injured, while the incidence of injury to the other 3 ligaments is low.
Meniscus injuries: Menisci are injured only during the twisting of the knee joint.
Dislocation: Dislocation of the knee joint is mainly due to the high impact blow to the knee joint, like in a vehicular accident. A knee dislocation is a medical emergency.
What medical conditions causes knee pain?
Apart from the acute injuries which can cause knee pain, there are certain medical conditions that can cause knee pain. Some of the known medical conditions are:
Rheumatoid arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, which affects the small joints of the body and also affects the knee joint. This disease causes severe pain and swelling in the joints.
Gout: Another form of arthritis is gout. It is mainly seen in the big toe but can affect the knee joint too. During the acute episodes, the pain is very severe, but in times of no flare-up, there is no knee pain.
Septic arthritis: The knee joint can become infected due to sepsis, also known as infectious arthritis. In this condition, the knee joint swells up and there is severe pain. The sepsis needs to be drained and antibiotic treatment is prescribed.
Work oriented: In people with professions involving performing repeated activities such as runners, cyclists, or using a drilling machine, etc. patellar tendinitis is seen. Similarly, in cyclists and runners, patellofemoral pain syndrome is seen. There is degeneration in the area between the patella and the femur.
Bursitis:- There may be anterior knee pain due to inflammation in the bursa. This condition is often known as prepatellar bursitis.
Osteoarthritis:- One of the most important reasons for knee pain is osteoarthritis of the knee joint. With the degeneration of the articular cartilage, osteoarthritis sets in. It may be due to an injury or due to aging.
Other causes
Osgood-Schlatter disease is seen in adolescents. Tibial tubercle is affected by this disease. At this position, the patellar tendon attaches to the tibia.
If there is a difference in the leg-length or abnormal walk pattern due to back pain, this may change the functioning of the joint and causes knee pain.
Excess body weight also puts stress on the knee joint and causes early damage to the cartilage.
Note– Know more about Knee Pain Diagnosis.
Tags: Knee pain, knee pain causes
