Knee pain when walking

Autor: RAFAŁ CZEPUŁKOWSKI
Consultation SZYMON RUBCZAK
Date added 26.12.2024
Date of last revision 26.12.2024

Table of contents:

Knee joint pain is a common complaint among patients. The knee is the most complicated joint in the human body, with a large number of intra- and extra-articular structures, so there are at least several reasons why we experience knee pain when walking.

Table of contents:

What are the causes of knee pain when walking?

Knee pain when walking can have an intra-articular or extra-articular cause. The most common intra-articular causes include:

  • Meniscus damage
  • Cartilage damage
  • Ligament damage
  • Dysfunction of the patellofemoral joint

In contrast, the most common extra-articular causes of knee pain when walking are:

  • Pathologies of the hip joint
  • Pathologies of the spine

Can a damaged meniscus cause knee pain when walking?

There are two meniscus in the knee, which serve to stabilize and protect the articular cartilage. Damage to the meniscus occurs as a mechanism of trauma or repetitive micro-trauma/overload. When they are damaged they come into conflict with the articular surfaces and cause damage to the joint. They can be the cause causing knee pain when walking. We treat them most often surgically - arthroscopically, sometimes in the case of small, stable damage - non-operatively.

Knee pain when walking and cartilage damage

Cartilage covers the bones in the knee, forms the joint, it is what provides the ability to put weight on the limb. If it is damaged or degenerated, knee pain when walking is constantly felt, unremitting, and increases throughout the day. Treatment for small injuries consists of muscle strengthening, supplementation, pain medication, and joint injection. The doctor may also introduce biological treatment. For larger cartilage damage, surgery should be considered.

Ligament damage

When ligaments, such as the anterior cruciate ligament or collateral ligament, are damaged, the main thing that will be felt is instability of the joint, or so-called "running away" of the joint. This can lead to pain, including knee pain when walking. The cause is usually traumatic, and treatment should be tailored to the type and extent of the injury.

Does patellofemoral joint dysfunction cause knee pain when walking?

Dysfunction of the patellofemoral joint, often referred to as chondromalacia of the patella, is actually pain in the patellofemoral joint resulting most often not from morphological damage to the cartilage but from biomechanical deficits. Muscle imbalances cause excessive loading and "friction" in the patellofemoral joint, causing, among other things, knee pain when walking. Adequate muscle strengthening most often helps cure the problem, but sometimes further testing is required, such as an MRI, to evaluate possible dysplasia of this area of the knee.

Knee pain when walking that can mimic problems outside the knee

The most common cause of such discomfort is degeneration in the hip joint. It can manifest as pain in the groin and knee, and sometimes only pain in the knee with a non-painful hip joint. However, mobility in the hip is greatly reduced. The pain usually extends down the thigh to the front of the knee. A good clinical examination, taking X-rays of the hip joints can identify the problem, and treatment of such a condition is most often surgical.

Pathologies in the lumbosacral spine can also manifest as pain in the lower limb, radiating to the thigh, knee and lower leg. A characteristic symptom is that most often not only the knee is affected by pain. Often the discomfort also extends above and below the knee, while the mobility of the knee itself is not limited. The solution to this condition is an examination and careful diagnosis of the spine and treatment, usually non-surgical.

Related articles:

Learn about other possible causes of knee pain in other areas of the joint.

Bibliography:

Autor
RAFAŁ CZEPUŁKOWSKI
RAFAŁ CZEPUŁKOWSKI

Specjalista do spraw content marketingu, dziennikarz sportowy i medyczny. Redaktor naczelny magazynu „Poradnik Zdrowie i Sport”, członek Dziennikarskiego Klubu Promocji Zdrowia, współtwórca wielu artykułów medycznych z zakresu ortopedii i urazowości w sporcie.

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Konsultacja merytoryczna
SZYMON RUBCZAK
SZYMON RUBCZAK

Lekarz w klinice Rehasport, specjalista Ortopedii i Traumatologii Narządu Ruchu, zajmujący się leczeniem urazów kończyny dolnej, a także ortopedią dziecięcą i leczeniem deformacji kręgosłupa. Swoje szczególne zainteresowania skierował na leczenie artroskopowe oraz medycynę sportową.

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