Knee pain/swelling
You don't need to be Editor-In-Chief to add or edit content to WikiDoc. You can begin to add to or edit text on this WikiDoc page by clicking on the edit button at the top of this page. Next enter or edit the information that you would like to appear here. Once you are done editing, scroll down and click the Save page button at the bottom of the page.
| Knee pain/swelling Classification and external resources | |
 |
|---|
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Phone:617-525-6884
Please Take Over This Page and Apply to be Editor-In-Chief for this topic: There can be one or more than one Editor-In-Chief. You may also apply to be an Associate Editor-In-Chief of one of the subtopics below. Please mail us [2] to indicate your interest in serving either as an Editor-In-Chief of the entire topic or as an Associate Editor-In-Chief for a subtopic. Please be sure to attach your CV and or biographical sketch.
The most common reasons of knee pain can include;
Acute knee pain
- Ligament injuries
- Tendon injuries (tendinitis)
- Meniscus injuries
- Loose body
- Dislocated kneecap
- Osgood-Schlatter disease
- Iliotibial band syndrome
- Hyperextended knee
- Septic arthritis
Chronic knee pain
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Gout
- Chondromalacia of the patella, or patellofemoral pain
Differential Diagnosis
- Acute gouty arthritis
- Adult Still's Disease
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury
- Baker's cyst
- Bone, ligament or cartilage damage
- Bursitis
- Chondromalacia patellae
- Chronic gouty arthritis
- Discoid meniscus
- Gonococcemia
- Hip or foot/ankle disease with referred pain to the knee
- Iliotibial Band Syndrome
- Joint effusion
- Joint infection
- Lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injury
- Malignancy
- Medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury
- Meniscus tear
- Osgood-Schlatter Disease
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD)
- Osteomyelitis
- Osteosarcoma
- Patellofemoral syndrome
- Pes anserine bursitis
- Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury
- Pseudogout
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Reiter's Syndrome
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Scleroderma
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Diagnosis
History and Symptoms
- Gait abnormalities
- Swelling
- Erythema
- Deformity
- Muscle atrophy
Physical Examination
- Range of motion
- Palpate area of concern
- "Milk the joint"
- McMurray circumduction test
- Ligament testing
Laboratory Findings
- Complete blood count
- C-reactive protein
- Uric acid
- Alkaline phosphatase
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
X-Ray
- Anteroposterior, lateral and merchant (or sunrise) films of both knees
- Tunnel views of knee
- Merchant and sunrise of the patella
MRI and CT
- MRI for confirmation of suspected diagnosis
Other Diagnostic Studies
- Bone scan
- Joint aspiration
Treatment
- Conservative therapy is best
- Lifestyle changes
- Physical therapy
- Exercise
Pharmacotherapy
Acute Pharmacotherapies
- Anti-inflammatory medications
- Joint medications
- Antibiotics
Surgery and Device Based Therapy
- Surgery necessary for most ACL injuries
- Meniscal tears may require surgical repair
- Joint infection requires surgery (emergency)
- Surgery may be necessary for osteoarthritis, if conservative treatment fails
References
Acknowledgements
The content on this page was first contributed by C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D.
List of contributors:
Suggested Reading and Key General References
Suggested Links and Web Resources
For Patients
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
