What causes chronic knee pain?
There is a difference between short-term and long-term knee discomfort. Knee pain is common after an accident or injury, and it can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months. Treatment for chronic knee pain is unusual, and it’s not usually traceable to a single event. In most cases, it’s the outcome of a number of factors.
Knee pain can be caused by a variety of medical disorders and diseases. These are only a few examples:
- osteoarthritis: pain, inflammation, and joint destruction caused by degeneration and deterioration of the joint
- tendinitis: pain in the front of the knee that is made worse when climbing, taking stairs, or walking up an incline
- bursitis: inflammation caused by repeated overuse or injury of the knee
- chondromalacia patella: damaged cartilage under the kneecap
- gout: arthritis caused by the buildup of uric acid
- Baker’s cyst: a buildup of synovial fluid (fluid that lubricates the joint) behind the knee
- rheumatoid arthritis (RA): a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disorder that causes painful swelling and can eventually cause joint deformity and bone erosion
- dislocation: dislocation of the kneecap most often the result of trauma
- meniscus tear: a rupture in one or more of the cartilage in the knee
- torn ligament: tear in one of the four ligaments in the knee — the most commonly injured ligament is the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
- bone tumors: osteosarcoma (second most prevalent bone cancer), most commonly occurs in the knee