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.
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.