Chronic Knee Pain

[jn8]

I have injured my right knee twice before.  Once, two years ago, was a quick dislocation of the kneecap - out and immediately back in - with some bruising of the bones.  Last year I stretched an attachment of my MCL (?).  My knee still hurts almost constantly.  The pain moves around and is mainly around the medial, anterior, and lateral portions of the knee as well as directly on the kneecap.  Every so often while walking I experience sharp and intense, but very short-lived bursts of pain on the lateral side of my knee.  The area that is most tender to touch is underneath the kneecap where it has been swollen continuously for two years.  When straightened, it looks like there is a lump on my knee.  Some of the pain also occasionally runs down towards my ankle.  Recently I have also experienced minimal hip pain.  While walking, the area along the medial side of the knee also hurts.  The entire area feels like it is full of sand to touch.  At times it feels like my knee is buzzing or growling and shifting - even while it is stationary.  I experience many different kinds of pain in many different areas of the knee, everything from the type of pain that accompanies a bruise to pinching, burning, and stinging.  It does not matter if my knee is bent, straigthened, or whether I am walking or resting.  I would really appreciate some suggestions to help alleviate the pain.

[Dr_Veena]

Hi,
     How are you? Pain, swelling, popping sound in the knee could be due to arthritis, as it is the most common cause of pain in the knee after recurrent injuries to the knee. Burning, tingling and radiation of the pain to the hip and ankle relates to compression of nerve.
I would suggest that you visit a orthopedician and get x-ray and MRI of the knee to confirm with the diagnosis.
All the best.