Boney bump on the outer side of my knee cap

I have a hard boney bump on the outer side of my left knee cap. I only started to notice the bump after I've increased my running miles. The bump has only recently started to give me pain while I'm active. It is not painful to touch, but it hurts really bad when I climb stairs or bend my knee.  What could be the problem?

[Dr Vinod]

Hello!

It is normal to have a small elevation of the bone (tibial tuberosity) at that location and this can become more prominent with exercise and running.

I would suggest you to go for an X-ray to rule out any injuries to your bones in the knee area.

Osteochondroma or exostosis occurs commonly in the long bones around the major joints like the knee.

Take NSAIDs intermittently and apply ice packs and follow up with an orthopedician.

Take care!

[M444]

Thank you for your fast reply!

I think the boney bump is on my lateral patella and not on my tibial tuberosity.

[Dr Vinod]

Hello!

Tibial tuberosity is the roughened protuberance on the anterior surface of the tibia located just distal to the condyles. It is the attachment site of the patellar ligament, which represents the insertion of the quadriceps femoris tendon.

Rest and take NSAIDs and apply ice packs on the lateral patellar area and if it does not work out get yourself examined.

Take care!

[M444]

Hi there,

The bump is definitely not on my tibia, it's either on the femur or on the patella.

Take care!