OverviewThe knee is the joint where the thigh bone, or femur, and shin bone, or tibia, meet. Knee pain refers to any pain or discomfort in this area of the body.
What is going on in the body?Pain in the knee can occur for many reasons. It can be mild or severe, and involve one or both knees. Some cases of knee pain pose a serious risk of disability, especially if the person is an athlete, but do not threaten life or overall health. Some others are not serious at all. Very rarely, the condition is life-threatening.
What are the signs and symptoms of the condition?When a person complains of knee pain, the healthcare professional will ask questions such as:
• exactly where the pain is located
• when the pain started
• the type of pain, such as sharp, dull, or throbbing
• whether the pain is constant or only occurs sometimes
• whether there has been any injury to the painful area
• whether anything makes the pain better or worse
• whether there is any difficulty in bending the affected knee or knees
• what other medical conditions a person has, if any
• what medications, drugs, or herbs a person takes, if any
Other questions may also be asked in some cases.
What are the causes and risks of the condition?
There are many possible causes of knee pain, including: trauma or injury, possibly producing a torn cartilage or ligamentoveruse of the kneearthritis infections in or around the knee, such as septic arthritis disease or infection throughout the body, which may produce generalized joint pain. Examples include sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and flu.gout or pseudogout, disorders that can deposit crystals into the joint spaceautoimmune disorders, conditions in which a person produces antibodies against his or her own body for unknown reasons. Autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus can cause knee pain.Baker's cyst, a small abnormal sac that may develop behind the kneeOsgood-Schlatter disease, a condition that usually occurs in teenage boys often producing a bump and the front of the leg just below the knee joint.deep venous thrombosis (DVT), which is a blood clot in the lega tumor or cancer affecting the bone
What can be done to prevent the condition?
Eating a healthy diet and avoiding alcohol can prevent some cases of knee pain due to gout. Avoiding overuse of the knees can help prevent cases from this cause. Some knee injuries can be prevented by following sports safety guidelines for children, adolescents, and adults. Many cases cannot be prevented.
How is the condition diagnosed?
Often, the cause of the knee pain is obvious from the history, such as if the healthcare professional watched the person twist his body to the turf with a planted foot. A careful, systematic examination of the knee joint is important to distinguish possible injury to the various structures.
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