Chronic knee pain - what's behind it?
definition
Chronic knee pain affects a great many people these days.
The causal diseases for this can be very different. In principle, the knee joint is a joint that is often affected by complaints and pain. This is primarily due to the fact that a large part of the human body weight rests on the knees and many movements and sports can exert enormous pressure and tensile loads on the joint. The stability of the knee is ensured by cartilage and ligaments such as the outer and inner ligaments, as well as the cruciate ligaments and menisci.
Injuries to the cartilage and ligaments can only be partially compensated for by the muscles, so that tears and damage to these structures often lead to protracted complaints. The practice of certain sports as well as certain bad postures and illnesses can also cause long-term problems in the knee joint.
Knee osteoarthritis
Knee joint osteoarthritis is a very common irreversible disease of the knee joint. It is not an independent disease but the consequence of chronic knee problems.
This is an advanced level of wear and tear on the joint, which mainly affects the articular cartilage. These lie on the bones involved in the joint and form the joint surfaces. Bad posture, injuries, strain and numerous other diseases can lead to irreversible wear and tear on this joint cartilage in the long term, so that the bones of the joint rub against each other. This can be very painful and severely restrict the movements in the knee joint. The osteoarthritis increases by itself and can at best be stopped in the early stages. At the end of advanced knee osteoarthritis there is often the surgical use of a knee prosthesis.
Read more about this at: Strengthening exercises for knee osteoarthritis
Overload from a knock knees
A knock-kneed leg is a misalignment of the legs that is due to a misalignment in the knee joint.
The axis of the leg curves inwards so that the knee comes to lie further in the middle than normal. When viewed from the front, both legs take on the shape of an X. Slight deviations from the norm are common and often do not require treatment. Severe forms, on the other hand, can be due to a vitamin D deficiency or polio. The knock knees lead to a significant misalignment and strain on the knee joint, so that consequential damage such as osteoarthritis can arise.
Also read:
- Knock knees
- Leg straightening
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Who am I?
My name is dr. Nicolas Gumpert. I am a specialist in orthopedics and the founder of .
Various television programs and print media report regularly about my work. On HR television you can see me every 6 weeks live on "Hallo Hessen".
But now enough is indicated ;-)
The knee joint is one of the joints with the greatest stress.
Therefore, the treatment of the knee joint (e.g. meniscus tear, cartilage damage, cruciate ligament damage, runner's knee, etc.) requires a lot of experience.
I treat a wide variety of knee diseases in a conservative way.
The aim of any treatment is treatment without surgery.
Which therapy achieves the best results in the long term can only be determined after looking at all of the information (Examination, X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, etc.) be assessed.
You can find me in:
- Lumedis - your orthopedic surgeon
Kaiserstrasse 14
60311 Frankfurt am Main
Directly to the online appointment arrangement
Unfortunately, it is currently only possible to make an appointment with private health insurers. I hope for your understanding!
Further information about myself can be found at Dr. Nicolas Gumpert
Overload from a bow leg
The bow leg represents the opposite misalignment to the knock kneel.
The knees are too far out in the axis of the leg, which is why the image of an O-shaped leg position occurs. Slight bow legs do not have to have any disease value and can often occur without any recognizable cause. In contrast, severe forms have high risks of osteoarthritis and chronic knee pain.
In childhood, under certain circumstances, an intervention on the growth plates can compensate for the growth of a bow leg. In adults, an advanced bowleg can be corrected with an operation, if necessary, before subsequent damage to the menisci develops.
For more information, see: If one
Osteochondrosis dissecans
Osteochondrosis dissecans is a clinical picture in which part of the joint-forming bone dies together with the cartilage.
The reasons for this are unclear; the disease was often preceded by a minor injury to the knee. The knee joint is most commonly affected in this disease, but other joints can also be affected. Initially there is pain when exercising, later severe and shooting pain is possible with a complete restriction of mobility in the joint. Osteochondrosis dissecans is a possible but very rare cause of chronic knee pain.
The symptoms often worsen within a few weeks, so that chronic progression is rather unusual.
You can find more information under: Osteochondrosis dissecans
Albäck disease
Albäck's disease is a rare disease that particularly affects people of advanced age. As with osteochondrosis dissecans, one joint surface dies.
However, the middle joint-forming part of the thigh bone is affected. The pain may appear in the middle of the knee first and worsen over a short period of time. Due to the bone damage and the subsequent transformation processes in the middle part of the knee joint, a bow-leg position occurs. The only method of therapy is surgery. In the case of advanced damage, a joint replacement must even be considered.
You may also be interested in this topic: Pulling in the hollow of the knee - is that dangerous?
Meniscus degeneration
The menisci are two cartilage discs that lie between the thigh and lower leg bones and enable and cushion the movements in the knee joint. The cartilage can wear out and be damaged due to heavy loads, misalignment of the knees, after injuries or numerous other causes.
An advanced wear of the menisci is called meniscal degeneration. The advanced degeneration is equivalent to osteoarthritis of the knee. The cartilage structures cannot regenerate or be rebuilt, so that damage to the menisci is in most cases irreversible. Chronic pain and restricted mobility in the knee are the most common consequences.
You might also be interested in: Pain in the meniscus
Arthrofibrosis of the knee joint
Arthrofibrosis of the knee joint is a pathological, increased formation of connective tissue in the joint.
The knee joint consists of a delicate balance of articular cartilage and stabilizing ligament structures. If there is an increase in connective tissue as a result of inflammation or repair processes in the knee, this can result in significant movement restrictions and pain in the knee. This sometimes goes as far as complete stiffening of the knee joint. Arthrofibrosis without a cause is very rare.
The clinical picture often arises after operations on the knee joint. For example, slight arthrofibrosis after cruciate ligament surgery is not uncommon, which leads to slight long-term restrictions in the ability to stretch the knee. In advanced forms, the adhesions of the connective tissue can be loosened with a joint reflection.
Important information here: Arthrofibrosis in the knee
Patellar tip syndrome
The patellar tendon is the insertion tendon of the quadriceps muscles of the thigh. It extends over the kneecap and the knee joint and is anchored in the upper part of the tibia. As a result, it performs important functions in extending the knee.
Patellar tendon syndrome occurs when the tendon on the upper shin is irritated and inflamed at its base. This can lead to considerable pain below the knee, which is initially limited to movement, but can later persist permanently. Patellar tip syndrome is mainly caused by excessive stress such as squats or jumping sports such as volleyball and basketball. The pain subsides when the knee is spared and stretched before exercise. It is a typical so-called "enthesopathy", an irritation of the tendon attachment, like the tennis elbow or the impingement syndrome.
Additional information: Burning pain in the knee
Inflammation of the quadriceps tendon
Inflammation of the quadriceps tendon is very similar to patellar tendon syndrome. This can lead to inflammation in the entire course of the tendon.
In most cases, these are caused by irritation from improper exercise or excessive exercise. Frequent triggers are mainly sports that involve jumping or frequent acceleration and braking. Many athletic disciplines can have an irritating effect on the patellar tendon. The inflammation of the tendon can be diagnosed by swelling and overheating. The most important therapeutic measure is first of all to protect the knee joint and to give the tendon time to regenerate.
You might also be interested in: What is the quadriceps?
Chondrocalcinosis
Chondrocalcinosis is the accumulation of calcium in the joint cartilage.
Various joints can be affected by this clinical picture, but the menisci of the knee joint are particularly often involved. Metabolic diseases are often the cause of chondrocalcinosis. Similar to gout, acute attacks can occur that are very painful and can almost completely limit mobility in the knee. The most important treatment method is the adequate therapy of possible metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus or diseases of the calcium metabolism.
If you suspect you have chondrocalcinosis, please also read: Chondrocalcinosis
