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You are here : Healthopedia.com > Medical Encyclopedia > Medical Symptoms > Knee Pain
      Category : Health Centers > Bones, Joints, and Muscles

Knee Pain

Alternate Names : Pain in the Knee, Arthralgia of the Knee

Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors | Symptoms & Signs | Diagnosis & Tests | Prevention & Expectations | Treatment & Monitoring | Pictures and Images | Attribution


The knee is a joint where the thigh bone, or femur, and shin bone, or tibia, meet. Knee pain refers to any pain or discomfort in this area of the body.

What is going on in the body?

Pain in the knee can occur for many reasons. It can be mild or severe, and involve one or both knees. Most cases of knee pain do not pose a serious threat to a person's health, but a few are serious.

What are the causes and risks of the condition?

There are many possible causes of knee pain, including:

  • trauma or injury
  • overuse of the knee
  • arthritis
  • infections in or around the knee, such as septic arthritis
  • disease or infection throughout the body, which may produce generalized joint pain. Examples include sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and flu.
  • gout or pseudogout, which are disorders that can deposit crystals into the joint space
  • autoimmune disorders, conditions in which a person produces antibodies against his or her own body for unknown reasons. Autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus can cause knee pain.
  • Baker's cyst, a small abnormal sac that may develop behind the knee
  • Osgood-Schlatter disease, a condition that usually occurs in teenage boys
  • deep venous thrombosis, which is a blood clot in the leg
  • a tumor or cancer affecting the bone

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    Knee Pain: Symptoms & Signs

    Author: Adam Brochert, MD
    Reviewer: Gail Hendrickson, RN, BS
    Date Reviewed: 03/28/01









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    Page Last Updated: 30th May, 2006