Knee Pain Causes
Injuries and Surgery
Knee pain is most often associated with general wear and tear from daily activities like walking, bending, standing, and lifting making it a common complaint among adults. Whether an individual’s knee pain is caused by aging or injury, it can be a nuisance and even debilitating in most circumstances. Almost all adults will experience this type of pain as time goes on and as they age.
Brief anatomy of the knee
The knee is a joint that bears a great deal of stress from everyday activities such as lifting and kneeling and from activities such as jogging or just walking.
The knee is formed by the following parts:
- Tibia. This is the shin bone or larger bone of the lower leg.
- Femur. This is the thighbone or upper leg bone.
- Patella. This is the kneecap.
Each end is covered with a layer of cartilage that absorbs shock and protects the knee. The knee is 2 long leg bones held together by muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
2 muscles are involved in the knee, which includes the quadriceps muscles (located on the front of the thighs), which straighten the legs, and the hamstring muscles (located on the back of the thighs), which allow the leg to bend at the knee.
Tendons are tough band-like cords of tissue that connect muscles to bones. Ligaments are elastic thick string-like tissue that connect bone to bone. Some ligaments limit forward and backward movement of the tibia (shin bone), while other ligaments on the knee provide stability and protection of the joints.
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What are some common knee problems?
Most knee problems are a result of the aging process and constant wear and tear on the knee joint (such as arthritis). Other knee problems are a result of an injury or sudden strain from movement problems of the knee. Common knee problems include the following:
- Sprained or strained knee ligaments and muscles. A sprained or strained knee ligament or muscle is usually caused by an injury to the knee or a sudden twisting of the knee. This often includes pain, swelling, and difficulty in walking.
- Torn cartilage. Injury to the knee can tear the menisci which are pads of soft gel-like tissue that act as shock absorbers and also improve stability. Sprains usually cause cartilage tears.. Treatment usually involves wearing a brace to protect the knee from further injury when performing an activity. Surgery may be the only way to repair the tear.
- Tendonitis. This is Inflammation of the tendons and may result from overuse of a tendon during certain activities such as running and bending,. When this involves the patellar tendon it is called jumper’s knee. This often occurs when playing sports, such as basketball, where the force of the ground after a jump strains the tendon.
- Arthritis
- Osteoarthritis, secondary to aging, is the most common type of arthritis that affects the knee joint. It is a degenerative process where the cartilage in the joint gradually wears down and disintegrates. It usually affects middle-aged and older men and women. It may be caused by too much stress on the joint such as seen with repeat injuries or being overweight. Pain comes on as a function of the the two bones rubbing on top of each other under stress which causes inflammation.