Normal MRI - unstable knee, lots of pain

[bluepetunia]

My 15 year old daughter, a (former) gymnast, has had intense knee pain for 4+ years.   Just ended 2 years of PT.  MRI, Xrays both are normal.   No joint swelling.   However, she continues to have intense knee pain (7-8 on the 1 to 10 scale) on a constant basis when weight bearing.  Her knee frequently gives out -- she falls a lot -- especially when bumped from the side.  Her orthopedist has said probably patello-femoral syndrome (growth plates still marginally open)  but acknowledges that the knee instability isn't consistent with that diagnoses (nor is the intensity of the pain).   She says there is nothing more she can do and maybe my daughter will outgrow it.

I am at my wit's end!   My daughter cannot do any activities without pain -- walking, swiming, cycling, skiing, horseback riding, etc. -- and is becoming very depressed (we are treating that).   Any ideas on where I can go to get more help?   We live in the Minneapolis area.

[ali1310]

hi there. im 15 years old turning 16 this fall. ive been having severe knee pain for the past 2 years. my knees pop, grind, and give out beneath me sometimes. when i went to the doctor the first time they said that i had extra tissue in my left knee called a plica so i had surgery in june of 2010 to get it removed. at first it seemed to relieve my pain but then it came back just as strong. after going back to the doctor and having numerous X-rays and MRI's they said i had patellorfemoral malalignment syndrome and sent me to physcal therapy. after doing physical therapy for a few months i havent seen any improvement in my pain level. the doctor said i need to adjust my life to stop tings that hurt my knees. i quit sports and havent ran at all in months. im running out of options and im done growing. the next thing im supposed to try is having snthetic synovial fluid injected into my knees so they wont grind against each other as much. if that doesnt work im supposed to just suck it up for a few years and wait till im between the ages of 18 and 21, the doctor said if im still experiencing the pain then they will preform surgery to fix the malalignment of my bones so my knee cap can glide. i feel like im too young to have these problems with my knees i dont know what to do. te pain is aking over my life and i hate it!!!!

[gymmommy]

Has your daughter improved? I have a 16 year old with exact issues. Also a former level 9 gymnast, she retired two years ago due to the knee pain. MRI's were normal, she underwent PT for 8 months but to no avail.