Causes of Knee Pain

Knee pain can be attributed to a multitude of factors including injuries, infections and diseases. It is important to consult a physician to clearly understand the cause of knee pain, especially if it has been a prolonged period of time.

Some of the common causes of knee pain include:

Knee Pain Injuries

Simple Strain: One may feel knee pain and discomfort if one has stretched his/her knee tissue. This is also known as a strain. This is usually nothing to worry about and is quite a common cause of knee pain.

Fractures and Dislocations: Fractures and dislocations of the knee are usually very painful and require immediate medical attention. They are caused by accidents, high impact collisions and falls, which may cause a bone of the knee to break or get out of place.

Bursitis: A patient may also have a build-up of fluid in the knee joint if they kneel or move their knee repeatedly for long periods of time.

Knee Pain Infections:

Septic arthritis: For some patients, knee pain and tenderness is caused by septic arthritis, which is a joint infection. Though uncommon, this is a serious infection and requires immediate medical attention.

Osteomyelitis: Infections like osteomyelitis affect the bone. It usually impacts the tibia or fibula but sometimes the radius or the ulna may also be affected.

Knee Diseases:

Arthritis: Practically a household name, arthritis is a joint disorder that leads to pain and inflammation of the affected joint. There are over 100 types of arthritis however osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common ones to affect the knee joint. While rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease caused often by unknown genetic factors, osteoarthritis is caused by natural wear and tear of the affected joint, often due to age or overuse.

Osgood-Schlatter Disease (OSD):  This disease mostly impacts teenagers who play sports and are undergoing puberty. It may result in a painful lump below the knee cap. Medical attention is required.

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