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Summary
Your knee joint is made up of bone, cartilage, ligaments and fluid. Muscles and tendons help the knee joint move. When any of these structures is hurt or diseased, you have knee problems. Knee problems can cause pain and difficulty walking.
Knee problems are very common, and they occur in people of all ages. Knee problems can interfere with many things, from participation in sports to simply getting up from a chair and walking. This can have a big impact on your life.
The most common disease affecting the knee is osteoarthritis. The cartilage in the knee gradually wears away, causing pain and swelling.
Injuries to ligaments and tendons also cause knee problems. A common injury is to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). You usually injure your ACL by a sudden twisting motion. ACL and other knee injuries are common sports injuries.
Treatment of knee problems depends on the cause. In some cases your doctor may recommend knee replacement.
NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
- Knee Pain (Beyond the Basics) (UpToDate)
- Knee Problems (American Academy of Family Physicians) Available in Spanish
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Knee Problems
(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
-
What Are Knee Problems?
(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
Available in Spanish
Latest News
- Birth Control Pills Linked to Fewer Severe Knee Injuries in Teen Girls (03/23/2016, HealthDay)
- Vitamin D a No Go for Arthritic Knees, Study Finds (03/08/2016, HealthDay)
- Weakened Knees a Big Cause of Falls for Older People (02/11/2016, HealthDay)
Diagnosis and Tests
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Arthrography
(Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology)
Available in Spanish
- Knee MRI (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology) Available in Spanish
- Knee Problems (American Academy of Family Physicians) Available in Spanish
- Water on the Knee (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Treatments and Therapies
- ACL Reconstruction (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Knee Arthroscopy (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - PDF
-
MedlinePlus: Knee Replacement (National Library of Medicine)
Available in Spanish
- Treating Osteoarthritis of the Knee (American Academy of Family Physicians) Available in Spanish
Living With
- Knee Bracing: What Works? (American Academy of Family Physicians) Available in Spanish
- Knee Conditioning Program (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - PDF
-
MedlinePlus: Mobility Aids
- Canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs
Available in Spanish
Specifics
- ACL Injury (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Baker's Cyst (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Hyperextended Knee: Cause of Serious Injury? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) (American Academy of Family Physicians) Available in Spanish
- Patellar Tendinitis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (American Academy of Family Physicians) Available in Spanish
- Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis (PVNS) (American Academy of Family Physicians) Available in Spanish
- Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injury (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Torn Meniscus (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Images
- Anterior cruciate ligament repair - slideshow Available in Spanish
- Knee arthroscopy - slideshow Available in Spanish
- Tibial osteotomy - slideshow Available in Spanish
Health Check Tools
- Knee Injury (DSHI Systems)
- Knee Pain (DSHI Systems)
- Knee Stiffness (DSHI Systems)
Videos and Tutorials
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ACL Repair (OR-Live)
- Baptist Health South Florida, Miami, FL, 9/16/2009
-
Knee Arthroscopy for Treatment of a Meniscus Tear (OR-Live)
- Broward Health Medical Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 11/04/2011
-
Knee Pain and the Weekend Warriors (OR-Live)
- Mercy Hospital, Miami, FL, 3/17/2009
Available in Spanish
Statistics and Research
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Long-Term Data Reveal Rate and Risk Factors for Subsequent Surgeries Following Initial ACL Reconstruction (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
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Physical Therapy to Treat Torn Meniscus Comparable to Surgery for Many Patients (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction (National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries (National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Articular Cartilage Disorders (National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Knee Injuries (National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Patella Disorders (National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Association of Medial Meniscus Extrusion With the Prominence of a...
- Article: Rotational Knee Laxity in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Deficiency: An Additional...
- Article: Single Shot Adductor Canal Block for Postoperative Analgesia of Pediatric...
- Knee Injuries and Disorders -- see more articles
- Meniscal injuries -- see more articles
Find an Expert
- Find a Doctor (American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons)
-
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Available in Spanish
Children
- Osgood-Schlatter Disease (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
- Osgood-Schlatter Disease (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
Teenagers
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries (Nemours Foundation)
- Jumper's Knee (Patellar Tendonitis) (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
- Knee Injuries (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
- Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Injuries (Nemours Foundation)
- Meniscus Tears (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
- Osgood-Schlatter Disease (American Academy of Family Physicians) Available in Spanish
- Osgood-Schlatter Disease (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
- Preventing Knee Injuries (American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine) - PDF
- Runner's Knee (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- ACL reconstruction Available in Spanish
- Anterior crucate ligament (ACL) injury Available in Spanish
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury -- aftercare Available in Spanish
- Anterior knee pain Available in Spanish
- Baker's cyst Available in Spanish
- Broken kneecap - aftercare Available in Spanish
- Collateral ligament (CL) injury -- aftercare Available in Spanish
- Getting your home ready - knee or hip surgery Available in Spanish
- Knee arthroscopy Available in Spanish
- Knee MRI scan Available in Spanish
- Knee pain Available in Spanish
- Meniscus tears -- aftercare Available in Spanish
- Osgood-Schlatter disease Available in Spanish
