Richard Haynes PTA/CPT - 3/3/2009

Question
I was a bike taxi last summer, trucking people around the San Diego Fairgrounds.  On the last day, I got this shooting pain on the medial side of my knee.  I am an avid cyclist with no prior knee problems, so I stayed off of it as best I could.  Since then, I have aggressively cycled 3 other times and the pain returned each time.  I haven't cycled at all in the last 2 months.  My affected leg's quadriceps have definitely atrophied with my good leg compensating for the loss.  I notice a lot more popping coming from my patella and, currently, I have a series of clicks (2-3) on the medial side of my knee.  The clicks are above the joint line, in between the superior aspect of the patella and the medial epicondyle of the femur - they occur only during weight-bearing knee flexion.  I plan on seeing an ortho but wanted to hear your diagnostic thoughts first.

Answer
Chris,


Could have some sort of problem with the medial meniscus when you mention the fact it is giving you problems when weight bearing with the knee flexed.

your pain being in its location above the joint line also could be a case of bursitis.
It will take the ortho just a few minutes to figure it out he may do one or two manual tests to rule out possibilities.

in your case sounds as if an x-ray may know show what is going on and maybe if deemed needed an MRI will show if there is a soft tissue problem here.

They can observe the knee and your gait etc... this may give the ortho doctor a better clue as to what it is as  well.

Guess: Medial meniscus or bursitis problem.

Richard Haynes
Punta Gorda, Florida.