Sharp pain in my knee

[Speicher]

Yes, I know I will need to see a Doctor about this, sooner rather than later. I thought it might be helpful to me if I understood a bit more about knees and cartilege before seeing the doctor.

Until recently I had a very occasional (when kneeling) feeling of something sharp under the skin on the top edge of my right knee cap. Now it seems there is a feeling of something sharp digging in, again only when kneeling. It affects a different part of the knee, below the knee cap, on the boney bit on the outside of the knee.

Does cartilage break up and move around like this?

Has anyone had anything similar?

 

[vickster]

Yes loose bodies can move around. Have you had an injury? There are two types of cartilage in the knee, meniscus the shock absorbers between the bones. And the articulat cartilage, shiny stuff which helps the bones move. Damage to either is not ideal. Neither heals effectively once damaged.

 

[Speicher]

I do not recall any injury to that knee. Could it be wear and tear due to age? It does not affect any movement of the knee, just painful when kneeling, which fortunately I do not do very often, except when emptying the washing machine, or doing the gardening.

Will this loose body show up on a scan or x-ray?

 

[vickster]

It might show up on a scan, more so if you can find a hospital with a newer higher res scanner (probably privately). Joint narrowing would show up on X-ray.

How old are you?

 

[Speicher]

55

 

[mirrorman]

Just had my torn cartridge repaired .x ray did not show any damage so I was sent for a M.R.I scan which will give them a full picture of the damage and all done on the N.H.S

 

[vickster]

That'll be the meniscus rather than the articular cartilage, meniscus doesn't show on x-ray as is soft tissue. MRIs aren't infallible either

OP - at 55, could well be wear and tear. The knee joint starts to degenerate often from age 30 on, especially if active, overweight, injured or just genetically predisposed

 

[Speicher]

Thank you Vickster and Mirrorman. This gives me an idea of some of the questions to ask the Doctor. I badly damaged the cruciate ligaments in my left knee decades ago. Perhaps I have, since then, knelt always on my right knee rather than the left one, thus causing more proportionally more damage to the right knee.

When I hurt my back about six years ago, the Doctors faffed and fiddled around for six months, prescribing painkillers that did not work, and in all that time the problem just got considerably worse. In the end I decided to see a Consultant privately to try and sort the problem out. He arranged a scan on the NHS.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Hi @Speicher , sorry to hear about your problem.
About 5 years ago a little sharp pain in my right knee developed in excruciating pain within a few days, so much I had to walk with a stick.
An MRI conformed cartilage damage due to wear and tear - I'm 50, work long hours standing/walking.
Sometimes they can do keyhole surgery for this, sometimes, like in my case, it would not help.
What I found helps are the physiotherapist's exercises, and, strangely, cycling.
Still after a couple of years I was in pain at times, been great since I've started cycling everywhere.
Careful of sudden knee turning movements, try to always move your legs with your body, if that makes sense, the physio suggested this.
The days of dancing the can-can are over for us

 

[Speicher]

Yes, I know what you mean about sudden knee turning/twisting. That was the thing that made my left knee really painful. I know of a very good physio who I consulted about my back injury.

What a shame about stopping doing the can-can. Does that apply to the Argentine Tango as well?

 

[summerdays]

I gather from my sister that when people injury themselves, they do then change how the body balances trying to avoid the pain and it puts strain on different parts (potentially injuring them in the process), so your theory about the left/right knee could be correct.

 

[Speicher]

I have now found that it is only when I kneel as low down as possible, that there is the sharp pain. If I am kneeling with the upper and lower part of my right leg, at right angles, if you see what I mean, then that is pain free.

 

[vickster]

Could well be an area of focal damage to the articular cartilage and associated bone bruising underneath

You say you damaged the cruciate ligament - was it repaired as a compromised ACL can lead to damage in the longer term if not fixed due to instabilty

 

[Pat "5mph"]

What a shame about stopping doing the can-can. Does that apply to the Argentine Tango as well?

Yes, 'fraid so

 

[Speicher]

Could well be an area of focal damage to the articular cartilage and associated bone bruising underneath

You say you damaged the cruciate ligament - was it repaired as a compromised ACL can lead to damage in the longer term if not fixed due to instabilty

I damaged the cruciate ligament of my left knee, this sharp pain is in my right knee. As Summerdays points out, I may have been compensating by using my right knee when kneeling, more than my left knee.