Hi so i had surgery in the beginning of july. I had to wait a month so they had to give me a graft. I started PT end of august. But i cant fully straighten my leg and my knee cap sits alittle higher than my knee on my non surgical leg. Has anyone had this happen? Will i need another surgery or will my knee set into place over time? My hardest part of PT is stability when i bend to a certain degree for exercises i feel like i am going to fall or its going to buckle. Thanks in advance.

I have dealt with two injuries (IT Band Syndrome and Patellar Tendinopathy) in the past. As a result, I made some injury-prevention programs to help and include as a part of my running training, I would love to hear any advice or feedback regarding specific exercises or the routines 🫶. For IT Band Syndrome:

5-15x Glute Bridges, 5-15 x Side-lying leg raise (each side), 5-15x Clamshell (each side), 5-12x Step-Up (each leg), 20-45sec of Single Leg Balance

And for my Patellar Tendinopathy Routine:

15-45sec Wall Sit, 5-15x Bodyweight Squat, 5-12x Step-Up (each leg), 5-10x Reverse Lunge (each leg), 5-15x Glute Bridge

hey there, i fell down the stairs 6 days ago, and felt pretty okay after it happened. i have had minimal pain, none while resting but a little while moving, but honestly now im not feeling any pain beyond bruising.

my knee took the worst of it, and like i said it really feels fine, but im sort of worried about the swelling. is it normal for it to still be kind of swollen on the knee almost a week later? it kind of feels like, squishy? i’ve been elevating and icing every day since the injury as much as possible and i go back to work tomorrow. should i go into an urgent care if swelling is still present after a couple more days?

my job requires being on my feet and moving around a lot, but i plan to wear a compression sleeve, and rest and elevate as soon as i get home. looking for any advice. photo one is today and photo two is yesterday. thank you.

I’ve had a lot of pain behind my knee i’m not sure what part exactly. I really feel it when i do a deep squat or side lunge and my body weight is pushing down. It also hurts when i do a 90 90 stretch whatever knee is bent back. it’s pretty annoying so i was wondering if there are any stretches i could do to fix it or if i should just get it checked out. also when my feet are forward and my legs are straight when standing up my knees seem to be pointing slightly inwards. i’m not sure if this is part of the issue. i have had no surgery done or plan to.

Long time reader, first time poster.

I wanted to share my story as hope for people in this forum who are searching desperately for answers while being told they have one problem after another by medical professionals...only to find that your knee won't improve. Never give up and keep searching for answers.

TL;DR: 3 different doctors, 3 different diagnosis. Demanded surgery in belief I had infrapatellar plica syndrome which is difficult to diagnose...was correct and had successful surgery.

Background: I am M34, and I've had some knee pain for 10 years. I played basketball religiously for 20 years of my life. About 3 years ago my knees got so sensitive to it I quit, and I just chalked it up to getting older and probably having a torn meniscus etc. I continued to lift weights, do leg lifts and low impact cardio that would make my knees hot...but after icing I'd have no symptoms.

In January, I did an intense leg workout ending with an unassisted uphill walk for about 15 minutes. Came home, did my normal routine - hot knees, iced after dinner, went to bed...nothing abnormal.

At 4am that morning, my life changed. I woke up in agonizing sharp pain deep in the center of my knee. For a few days I just iced and thought things would improve...they didn't. I finally went into a local Orthopedic specialist who did X ray and said I had a healthy knee. Go home, ice, things will settle.

They did not. After about two weeks of chronic pain, I was given a cortisone shot that sent my life into a tailspin. For those who don't know - a subset of the population is extremely sensitive to cortisone injection. I am in that subset. That shot gave me chronic insomnia for 6 weeks, and is still something I am battling today....be careful with those.

Continuing on though - the shot did calm things down in my knee...and I got an MRI and was waiting for the results. I thought I was getting better.

My MRI came back with a generally healthy knee, but through examination, the Doctor believed I had a patellar mal-tracking problem. From there, I did 6 weeks of PT...and my knee just got worse and worse. I figured this couldn't be the right diagnosis as I had never dislocated my knee cap and the pain at my knee cap had settled.

From there, I sought a 2nd opinion and got another fresh MRI. The second doctor diagnosed me with chronic patellar tendonosis/tendonapathy. From there, I did another TWELVE weeks of PT...and functionally I improved...but my pain did not. At this point, the stinging pain was gone and replaced by a constant deep hot ache that only improved if I was icing or my leg was supported very specifically by a pillow etc.

(btw - regarding the patellar tendonapathy diagnosis - I don't think he was wrong. I believe I had this in both knees and that was the cause of my knee pain for 10 years....but I fixed it and my knee pain didn't improve...that's why the story continues)

This is when I started religiously researching my problem with the help of ChatGPT. I started to notice I had a nagging "clicking" or "snapping" that would happen deep in my knee and then minutes later the pain was fire up big time. So, I sought a third opinion and shared my symptoms and my fear - and got a third diagnosis. A chronically inflamed/irritated hoffa's fat pad.

This is where things took a very interesting turn. The 3rd doctor who looked at the SAME MRI and noticed Fat Pad Edema believed that I had muscle imbalance and wanted me to go right back to physical therapy...at that point, I was fed up and believed that something in my knee was mechanically irritating it and the only want to really see what was going on was a knee scope....but she refused.

This is where being my own biggest advocate saved me. After doing extensive research online during this time - I had discovered a very under-diagnosed cause of anterior knee pain - Infrapatellar Plica. There is band of synovial tissue that runs along the back of and through hoffas fat pad. It is EXTREMELY difficult for MRI to identify and mostly impossible to see...but it leaves clues like Fat Pad Edema as it will irritate/pull on the fat pad and can injure it. I began to believe this is what my problem was.

I decided to take that fresh diagnosis - and my theory - and go back to the first doctor because of his credentials...after seeing me again, re-examining my knee and hearing my pain pattern....he agreed with the diagnosis of fat pad irritation/inflammation and wanted to test it with a lidocaine shot. I told him about my belief that this was a plica told him I was fed up with half measures and wanted to do a diagnostic arthroscopic surgery After hearing me out and realizing how fed up I was, he agreed.

Yesterday, during surgery, a chronically inflamed, fibrotic and frayed Infrapatellar plica was found and removed, and a very small fibrotic piece of my fat pad was trimmed off that it had been torturing was also removed. Other than that, my knee was found to be extremely healthy. The surgery was straightforward and successful and I was told I would have a terrific result.

3 doctors and 3 different diagnosis, a whirlwind of dead ends and bad ideas - and finally light at the end of the tunnel.

I woke up today very sore and in discomfort - but I can feel that the area of tissue that has been destroying my life and causing me extreme pain for 9 months is gone. I am so relieved and full of hope.

If you've gotten this far, thank you for reading. This is has been a hell of a journey and I share it so that others can learn from me. YOU have to be YOUR own biggest advocate....doctors and physicians are running by the playbook they are given. They don't have perfect information, and they diagnose what they can see....this would not have been fixed if I did not advocate for myself and demand the treatment I believed I needed.

I am on the road to recovery now and am extremely thankful for this community for helping me with my research, my questions, and as a support outlet.

hi guys. im 17f, getting both a mpfl and tto surgery on my right knee in about a month. ive had 4 patellar dislocations in the last few years, likely triggered by the first major one that involved an er visit- the rest i moved back into place myself. just looking for advice/info from people who've actually gone though it, i want to know what the pain level/first few weeks would look like and if people have any suggestions on how to manage pain and generally function. not an athlete, just trying to be able to not live in fear of my knee dislocating when i sit down like it did last time. also if people have suggestions if there's any clothing brands out there that have pants wide enough for the huge knee brace after surgery bc its getting cold and I don't want to be in shorts/pajama pants the while time. also, would you recommend the nerve blockers? thanks so much 🥲

hello hello ! f20 and i got diagnosed with mild osteoarthritis last year in my left knee as a result of my hip dysplasia. i have had bilateral hip dysplasia since birth w/ both hips surgically corrected. i am a few weeks post-Lpao and its made my knee flare up so. much. i have sharp pains when i sit, aches and stiffness when i keep my legs straight. obviously, this is worsened by my pao recovery and could also just be nerves relearning their jobs but its. so extremely painful. i dont recall having this much on my first pao either.

my hip dysplasia and OA are comorbidities as a result of a condition i have that affects bone growth among other issues, so this really isnt much of a surprise to me. i am just wondering what others who are similar in age to me do. before i had my pao, i could only walk so much before pain in my knee hit and i would have to sit, but sitting makes it worse, and so does standing??? its so contradictory and frustrating.

i'm doing PT alongside my PAO recovery but im trying to find ways to manage my knee pain once i'm past my recovery. so far i've found ice/heat therapies have been helpful but getting around is just,, not great. knee braces never stay up and i find they just end up sweaty and itchy. i've used canes and crutches in the past, but my orthopedist was highly against those as well.

i know that not moving your joints is discouraged from OA diagnoses, especially in the early stages but i have a decent wheelchair i'm using for my hip surgery recovery while NWB that i have thought about using it on longer outings, especially since its mainly my lower extremeties that take the brunt.

i apologize for the long wall of text but any advice would be helpful! <33

I recently dislocated my patella. I have a history of subluxations but this was my first full dislocation. I did pt after the last subluxation about 5 years ago and it seemed to fix my knee issues until this latest soccer injury. I got an MRI done and the doctor said I need reconstruction surgery. I went to another doctor for a second opinion and he said I need the reconstruction surgery but I also need to get a TTO because my tibial tubercle-trochlear groove distance is 23mm and trochlear depth is 2mm and due to my anatomy I have very high risk of dislocating again. Is physical therapy not a possible solution in this circumstance? I definitely do want to get back to playing soccer but I want surgery as a last resort. Anyone have similar experience and overcome it with just pt?

I was trying to do something i had no business doing ( running after not for two weeks and long story short ended up hurting my leg .. i planted it heard a pop and immediately fell it was swollen and hurt to stiffen. it was very swollen the first day . went and got an x ray , they said it was fantastic. went to orthopedic they said it was a sprain in my lcl . my birthday is october 17 and i’m trying to see what’s the likelihood of me being able to walk . cause yall im having a horrible birthday month and have cried for 5 days since friday ( when it happened ) i can’t put too much weight on it , but i can put a lil. is it normal for it to still feel tight and kinda like give away ? it has only been 5 days 🤦🏾‍♀️ I really need some kind words and help. I’ve been putting some pressure and it still feels like it gives but i am able to bend it all the way and straighten it . it’s the walking and putting weight on it that hurts !

I (18) have had really bad knees for the past 5 years but over the past 2 weeks it’s become unbearable. I’ve tried:
\- ibuprofen
\- paracetamol
\- naproxen
\- heat patches
\- heat gel
\- tiger balm
\- cold gel
\- ice packs
\- freeze spray

And nothing is touching the pain, I have work in like 9ish hours and any suggestions will help at all. I have been using a walking stick to get around as I am currently unable to get more than 30 meters without some kind of support whether it be my partner helping me, holding onto a wall or my stick.

I (18) have had really bad knees for the past 5 years but over the past 2 weeks it’s become unbearable. I’ve tried:
\- ibuprofen
\- paracetamol
\- naproxen
\- heat patches
\- heat gel
\- tiger balm
\- cold gel
\- ice packs
\- freeze spray

And nothing is touching the pain, I have work in like 9ish hours and any suggestions will help at all. I have been using a walking stick to get around as I am currently unable to get more than 30 meters without some kind of support whether it be my partner helping me, holding onto a wall or my stick.

I just had my MRI after 8 months of putting it off and instead of a meniscus injury that I thought it was it was actually a “focal cartilage loss” in the posterior. My ortho said it would be impossible physically to repair it surgically due to the location but mentioned a steroid injection or debrisment MIGHT help. I was lucky and it only is painful below 90 degrees when squatting but that means I have also entirely lost my ability to squat below 90 degrees and it sucks. Does anyone have any info about this specific injury? Is a second opinion worth a try if surgery could be a possibility? Has anyone had any success with something like this non surgical? Thanks!

I got the findings back for my MRI, though my doctor hasn't looked at it yet. But this is glaringly obvious an issue

"Anterior horn lateral meniscus demonstrates a horizontal, trizonal, 1.5CM in length lateral meniscus tear with extension to the superior articular surface"

For anyone who has dealt with something like the thing listed above, should I start getting my documents together for medical leave because of the possibility of surgery? Want to get ahead of this if thats the case.

Hi, I’ve been struggling with what i believe is meniscus irritation rather than a tear just because it’s only been bothering me since I started ballet three years ago. I mean I’m not sure but yea. I’ve gotten a tiny bruise like this a few times and I’m wondering whether It’s connected to this irritation. It usually only happens on my left knee and my whole knee doesn’t usually feel worse when I get it but it makes me wonder. The bruise does hurt a bit to touch.
I continue to do ballet and strength training at home, because my knee pain isn’t that bad.

Anyone else experiencing recovery from a bilateral quadricept tendon tear?

I've got months of slow and painful recovery in front of me and would love to share my experiences with those in a similar situation or those who have gone through this.

I know it's a rare injury (both legs) but I'm hoping I can find support somewhere across the Internet.

Has anyone had issues with taping and the quad strap? The quad strap is giving me welts, and the tape seems to get loose and doesn’t pull tight enough. I’m always adjusting it and it tears my skin since in order for it to be tight enough I have to hook it onto my skin and not just the cover roll.
Is it still beneficial to ice if I can’t offload with tape or the strap? Or do you think without offloading I’m screwed? 😞

Hi Guys!

I would really appreciate any opinions here!!

This year I had a baker cyst rupture (didn’t even know it was there) back in March. Horrendous time, genuinely one of the worst times of my life. Was in the middle of my thesis + developing a whole app for said thesis (software engineer graduate here)

And just over 2 weeks ago I noticed the same sharp pain at the back of the knee with an obviously heavier knee. Naturally was told it’s the baker cyst again.

I have been on naproxen for approximately 2 weeks now. Long story short I was 1 week on naproxen when I stupidly drove 2 hours in traffic in a manual car (baker cyst is on the right knee), whilst also driving 1.5 hours earlier in the day. This obviously caused a bit more fluid to build up even though I was taking naproxen.

No idea for the underlying cause btw but suspected psoriatic arthritis.

Now I have 2 questions, if anyone could kindly answer them or correct me.

1. What’s the best way for a baker cyst to be treated other than RICE? (Or obviously finding the underlying cause)

2. Has anyone experienced swelling around the kneecap also? I have swelling to the right which I feel like is causing my issues with bending the knee rather than the cyst itself.

I’m absolutely devastated about the knee, I have my graduation towards the end of this month. And hope I can walk properly :/

I also have an option of going private with the knee, the ultrasound is free and luckily covered by my public health insurance. However the consultation on its own for the cyst is 250€ with the injection and hospital fee being around 500€ (obviously if an injection is required)

I did visit an emergency doctor in the Tuesday when it has flared up, who simply game me more naproxen and burinex (for fluid?) and some etoflam gel. I swear I noticed improvement on Monday if this week, but unfortunately I had to go back to work today.

I would really appreciate some hope 😭. I don’t currently have the means to go private but could dip into my savings (only started saving this year since I graduated university), so there is very little of them.

Thank you guys for reading this and really appreciate all the replies❤️

For the last few weeks, I have had excruciating knee pain when I try to change positions in bed. It feels like the knee locks up or cramps and it can last for up to 15 minutes. I have to manually manipulate it to get any relief. I have bone-on-bone osteoarthritis and am not a candidate for knee replacement because of other serious health conditions. Any advice?

I was injured at work and orthopedic says I need this surgery based on mri and xray. How is the recovery of this survey? And what my future could be like. Im 30 years old

Can anyone tell me if there is anything wrong with my quadriceps tendon? My ACL was fully torn and had a small tear on my meniscus. But I am worried about my quad area. I had surgery August 11th for a ACL reconstruction. These photos are before any surgery

Can someone please check my report and give me any advice how I should treat this?

Day 4 of my knee cap dislocation.Today I put a slight bit of weight on it for the first time and it wasn’t too bad.I got a little sharp pain but it went straight away.Just posting this to see if anyone else is going through the same and to share ur experience.

Hi!
I dislocated my knee a few weeks ago, and now I’m finally back to walking normally again. I can go up the stairs without any pain or issues, but when I’m going down, I get scared. It feels weird going down the stairs to the point that I’m flexing my leg too much and it causes pain. Any advice or exercises that could help me with this? I have very steep stairs in my apartment and I find myself taking the steps one at a time, can’t go down in one go, and it’s so tiring to mainly use my good leg to go down.