Pain Above Knee For 5 Months, 20 Year Old Otherwise Healthy

[Alexpte]

Hello,
About 6 months ago I started to do some running and after the first month or so started getting pain above my knee, so I stopped. Since then the pain hasn't gone away and I'm getting desperate now as nothing seems to work.

The pain is at its worst when going down stairs, steep hills, or when I put weight on it such as in a lunge or squat. It's had periods of getting better then when I think I'm going to be pain free it always gets worse.

I've tried stretching my hip flexors and IT band and it does help, but that pain doesn't go completely. Ive also had several sports massages on my knees which really helps for a week or so and then the problems return, so it must not be treating the underlying problem. I haven't run since the injury occurred. I've played football (soccer) a few times, but not for over a month now and there isn't much of an improvement.

What can I do about this? I love sports of all kinds but can't do anything at the moment. Is it just an injury that takes a long time to heal? Or is there something I should be doing?

Thanks,
Alex

[angburr]

Hi Alex -- I am not a doctor, but when I had the symptoms you describe, at its worst when going down stairs, steep hills, or when I put weight on it such as in a lunge or squat, mine was caused by a stress fracture in my tibial plateau.  

I would suggest getting it looked at soon.  It's been 9 months since mine occurred, I was non-weight bearing to partial weight-bearing for 12 weeks, and I'm still having problems.  I still can't put extra pressure on it, do squats or lunges, and it still hurts to touch it even with light pressure at the fracture site.

[Dr_Veena]

Hi,
    How are you? The condition that you are having is called as runner’s knee, often affects young, otherwise healthy athletes. A preexisting condition called as chondromalacia predisposes individuals to wear and tear of the cartilage under the knee cap. The pattern of cartilage damage seen with chondromalacia is distinct from the degeneration seen in arthritis, and the damage from chondromalacia is thought to be capable of repair, unlike that seen with arthritis.

Treatment is by resting the knee and adhering to a proper physical therapy program. NSAID’s, cross-training activities, such as swimming, can allow an athlete to maintain their fitness while resting the knee. The next step in treatment is a physical therapy program that should emphasize strengthening and flexibility of the quadriceps and hamstring muscle groups.
Consult a orthopaedician for confirmation of diagnosis and advise on treatment.
Best.