Definition

About one in four adults are afflicted with knee pain during periods. The causes may be acute or chronic rheumatic disease, injury, but also other conditions. Below are a number of such reasons listed below, most often with links for more in-depth information.

Rheumatic diseases with knee pain

Arthritis

Symptoms with swelling, redness and warmth, weakness and instability, reduced streching ability. Most bothering in the morning

• Childhood Arthritis (JIA)
• Borrelia infection
• Rheumatoid Arthritis (Arthritis)
• Spondyloarthritis
  • Ankylosing spondylitis
  • Psoriatic arthritis
  • Reactive arthritis
  • Arthritis of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis (Intestinal inflammation)
• Gout
• Calcium pyrophosphate arthritis (Pseudogic)

Osteoarthritis

• Stiffness and pain after physical strain
• Little bothering in the morning
• Normal blood samples

Bakers cyst

• Popliteal swelling (behind the knee)
• May be due to arthritis or osteoarthritis of the knee joint

Ilio-tibial band syndrome

Loose foreign body (Osteocondrititis)

Osteonecrosis, Avascular necrosis

• At high doses of cortisone (Prednisone)

Septic arthritis

• Infection, most often bacteria
• Painful, red, hot (resembling gout)
• Some people get fever
• Gonococcal infection

Other causes of knee pain

The kneecap (patella)

Fracture of the kneecap

• Rare
• Most often sports injury

Chondromalacia patella

• Pain under the kneecap
• MRI shows damage to the cartilage between the kneecap and other knee joint

Patella luxury ("The kneecap out of joints")

• Acute and repetitive
• Often overweight
  • Hypermobility
  • Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
  • Marfan's syndrome

Patello-femoral pain

Among the common causes of knee pain

• May be due to overload
• Often unexplained triggering cause
• Pain above and below the kneecap

Runners knee

• Among the most common running injuries
• Several causes

Tendonitis along the leg (tibia) (Meningitis / tibial periostitis)

• Among the most common running injuries
• Pain along the lower 2 / 3 of the leg at the transition to the muscles

Tendonitis over the kneecap (pre-patellar) or at the Quadriceps tendon

• Often overloaded by sports like jumping and sprinting

Bursa inflammation at the kneecap (pre-patellar or infra-patellar bursitis)

• Gradually swelling within a few days. Typically after sitting a lot on the knees (tilers, masons)
• Swelling and pain just above the kneecap
• Redness
• Normal moving
• Infection must be excluded

The knee joint otherwise

Hoffa fat pad syndrome

• The front of the knee
• Increased pain by kneeling or squatting, walking or running

Cancer

• Rare, but tumor in the skeleton can cause knee pain

Meniscus wear (degenerative lateral meniscus)

• Pain on the outside of the knee (laterally)
• Gradually (over years) among adults without prior injury
• The knee can "lock"

Pes anserinus bursitis (Bursa inflammation)

• Pain and swelling on the inside just above the knee

Plica syndrome

• By running
• Pain on the inside of the kneecap by stretch and bend

Schlatter (Tibial tuberculosis apophysitis)

• Teenagers
• Pain under knee, especially after stress

Tendonitis in popliteus tendon

• Pain behind the knee
• Sports injury, especially when running downhill

Accident

• Side Ligaments
• Front crossband
• Meniscus (lateral og medial meniscus)
• The kneecap (patella) is luxated ("dislocated")
• Patellar tendon
• Fracture of the joint

---

• Bindevevssykdommer.no
• Vaskulitt.no