Sharp knee pain after a gradual peiod of worsening pain

Hi. I have a knee pain question, but will give you a litle background info first to put it in context.

I am 29, female, and in general good health. Slightly oveerweight buit active, regularlay cycling and hiking.

At 16 I was diagnosed with condromalacia patella (sp), and had both legs in plaster to rest them. This made no difference, but by my early 20s the pain had all but gone.

Since Novemebr I have been experienceing intermittent pain in my left knee, on the outside. Nothing major, ust uncomfortable. This pain gradually incresased and was present for longer periods of time and was worse in severity. This would follow a cycle of about two weeks with sever pain then nothing for a month or so.

Now however the pain has become constant, there on waking and remaining throughout the day. It is also accomapnied by sharp tear-inducing pain that lasts about thirty seconds to 2 minutes, and it seems to make no difference whether it is weight bearing or not. Sometimes at rest sometimes while walking.

I have had an xray and MRI, neither of which have shoen anything.

It is now becoming debilitating, and I am considering changing my car to an automatic, as pressing a cluctch is now becoming impossible.

Any advice or insight anyone could give me would be extremely useful.

Thanks for taking the time to read this,

Paula

[Michael L Gross, MD]

With negative Xrays and MRI, perhaps you should consider other sources for your pain.  Things to consider are lumbar radiculopathy, vascular insufficiency, neuritis, rheumatologic disease.