Twisting your knee can cause different types of pain depending on which structure of the knee is affected.
This article describes the possible causes of knee pain by location, including how they are diagnosed and treated.
Medial Meniscus Tear
Meniscus are crescent-shaped bands of rubbery cartilage attached to thetibia(shinbone).
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They act as shock absorbers and help stabilize the knee.
Those situated on the inner side of the kneeone for each knee jointare called medial meniscus.
Ameniscus tearis one of the most common reasons for inner knee pain after a twisting injury.
The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is one of four ligaments that keep the knee joint stable.
When the MCL is severely twisted, it can lead to a sprain.
With osteoarthritis, there may bebone spursand a significant loss of knee cartilage.
While commonly thought of as anoveruse injuryof the knee, SPS can occasionally occur after a twisting knee injury.
Lateral Meniscus Tear
Lateral meniscus are those situated on the outer side of the knee.
The LCL helps stabilize the outer side of the knee joint.
An LCL sprain occurs if the leg moves into avarus(bow-legged) position.
LCL tears are most commonly the result of a blow to the outer knee.
Referred Knee Pain
Pain felt in the knee doesn’t always originate in the knee.
The misfiring can trigger nerve pain elsewhere along the nerve route.
If the knee is involved, the hip or spine is usually where the nerve compression occurs.
When this happens, the ensuing inflammation can compress thesaphenous nervethat passes through the hip joint.
When the saphenous nerve is pinched, the referred pain is mainly felt in the inner knee.
There may also be pain and stiffness in the hip joint.
Sciatic Nerve Compression
The nerves that exit the spine are called spinal nerve roots.
The lumbar spinal nerves provide sensations to the lower limb, including the knee.
Sciatic knee pain is mostly centered around the outside, front, or back of the knee.
Gentle stretching exercises may also be needed to improve the range of motion in your legs.
Kneecap pain may be due to patellar dislocation and an inflammatory condition called synovial plica syndrome (SPS).
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