Aching Knee

For the past several months I have been having an almost constant ache in my right hip and leg.  In August I had an arthrogram of the hip done and was diagnosed with a labral tear.  In addition to the aching hip I also have aching just below the knee.  Today I had an MRI of the knee done but won't see my doctor until December.  He wanted to rule out a meniscal tear but none of my symptoms match the symptoms associated with a torn meniscus.  Nothing relieves the ache...I've tried Motrin, Aleve and Feldene but nothing works.  What could be the cause of the aching knee?  It's not shin splints because I know what those feel like.  I have no pain, it's a constant ache.

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Well, without a clinical evaluation, it would be difficult to determine the cause of your symptoms. The knee pain could be referred pain from the hip sue to similar spinal distribution of nerves; or could be due to a separate knee issue. Meniscal/ ligament tears can be quite tricky at times and the symptoms may not match the classical description. The best I would suggest at this time is to wait for the MRI report to become available and then discuss it in detail with your treating doctor for appropriate management.
Hope this is helpful.

Take care!