A Knee pain diagnosis chart is a straightforward visual representation that can assist the medical professional and the individual in understanding various problems in the knee, where it is located, and its impact on the knee and surrounding areas.

It is a detailed pictorial representation that can help accurately point to the area of discomfort and educate individuals about the possible causes and treatment plans. Read on to learn more about how it is effective and the various information it can provide.

Understanding Knee Pain Diagnosis

To diagnose any condition, there are several procedures a professional medical needs to follow. This can range from understanding the individual's medical history to physical examination and running tests. In the case of knee pain, there is an imperative need to understand prior injuries, possible underlying medical conditions, and physical inspection of the situation. This help diagnoses the pain, which can be vital in curating an effective treatment plan.

Types of Knee Pain Condition

Based on the pain's location, several segments of pain charts can be created. Based on this, the categories help understand the condition, what possible treatment can be prescribed and general care needed for treating knee pains.

Front Knee Pain Chart

The front Knee Pain Chart helps understand the conditions that impact and cause knee pain in the front part of the knee. This involves several injuries to parts of the front of the knee mentioned below.

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS)

This is a condition in which the kneecap tends to hurt and has a mild pain sensation. It is also called the runner's knee and is often a result of overuse or misalignment of the kneecap. The pain can vary from mild to severe.

Patella Tendinopathy

This condition is caused when the patellar tendon in the knee region is stretched or pulled, causing excessive stress on the tendon. This can cause pain and inflammation while reducing mobility in the knee region. It can also result in a burning sensation in the knee cap region.

Infrapatellar Fat Pad Syndrome

This is a condition when the infrapatellar fat pad - a cushion-like bed with fatty soft tissues is pinched between the kneecap and thigh bones or shin bones, resulting in compression for the nerves in the fat pads. This can cause severe pain as the nerves can be sensitive, resulting in mobility issues and reduced knee flexibility.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

An ACL tear can be painful to have in the knee. It is a condition when the Anterior Cruciate Ligament in the knee is injured through a strain or tear. It helps keep the knee in place and assists in easy movement of the leg and knees. When disabled, the knee reduces mobility and has severe pain.

Osteoarthritis

This is a condition where the knee joints begin to become stiff and cause pain. This condition causes you to lose some of the cartilage in the knee, thereby impacting your movement and causing stress and stiffness in the knees. This can be painful as it results in more friction in the bones, reduced mobility, and difficulty in engaging the knee for activities.

Pain Behind the Knee (Posterior Pain) Chart

This chart helps you understand the conditions and areas of pain in the back of your knees, how it affects the joints and ligaments, and possible treatment options due to the identification.

Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Tear

A PCL tear occurs when the posterior cruciate ligament in the back of the knee tears. T results in reduced movement and pain in the knees while moving it. The pain is localized to the back of the knee and can be painful.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tear

An ACL tear is similar to PCL and is one of the major ligaments in the knee that connect the thighs to the shinbone. It can cause a shaky sensation when you walk and result in pain.

Bakers Cyst

This is a condition with a collection of synovial fluid in an inflamed bursa. This accumulation in the tendon-related region can cause a reduction in movement and cause pain. This bugle affects movement.

Arthritis

This is a common cause of knee pain where the cartilages in the knee region begin to wear, resulting in increased joint friction and stiffness. This can be painful, creating sensations of “locked” knees and other mobility-related issues.

Hyperextension Injury

In this condition, an injury results from the movement of joints beyond their normal functioning. This can result from shock or physical impact on the joints, resulting in over-extension. This can cause tears in ligaments and injure cartilage.

Inner (Medial) Knee Pain Chart

This chart helps understand the various concerns in the inner knee or the medical knee region. 

Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Injury

This injury is similar to an ACL or a PCL, where the Medial Collateral Ligament tears due to extreme stress on the region. It is one of the important ligaments in the knee that aids stability. This can impact movement and cause severe pain and lack of mobility in the knees.

Meniscal injury 

This is an injury when the meniscus on the inner side of the knee is injured, resulting in small tears or damage to the cartilage. This can cause swelling, pain, and reduced mobility.

Osteoarthritis

In this condition, the cartilages begin to degenerate, resulting in more friction, collection of synovial fluid in the joints, and reduced mobility and stiffness. It can be painful and take time to heal.

Outer(Lateral) Knee Pain Chart

The outer or lateral knee is one of the minor sides to be impacted due to an injury. However, it can have injuries, and here are a few of them.

Iliotibial Band Syndrome

In this condition, the Iliotibial band - a thick strip of connective tissues running from the outer hip to the shinbone is damaged or injured due to strenuous activities. This can result in the band in inflammation or affecting soft tissues nearby, wrestling in pain, and reduced movement. It is common for athletes and people who engage in representative exercise to have this injury.

Lateral Collateral Ligament Injury

The LCL connects the outer side of the femur to the tibia and is a major ligament in the knee region. An injury to it due to impact or strain can result in loss of strength in the outer side of the knee, wobbling, swelling, and stiffness.

Lateral Meniscus Injury

The Menisci are tough cartilages that are found between the femur and tibia. An injury can occur when there is a sudden twisting-like motion to the knee or when the resilience of the cartilage begins to wear down due to frequent activities. 

Dislocated Patella

This is a condition in which the knee caps “pop” sideways at the knee joint. It is caused by sudden force or impact and can result in the immobility of the knee joint, pain, and inflammation in the muscles around the region due to effect.

Kneecap Pain Chart

Chondromalacia Patella

This is a condition where the cartilage under the kneecap, which acts as a natural shock absorber, wears for various reasons such as impact, overuse, and strain. Dull pain, swelling, and redness near the joint can be symptoms of the condition.

Housemaids Knee

Also known as prepatellar bursitis, the bursa, a small fluid-filled sac that helps reduce friction, is inflamed. This often can be painful, reducing the ability to bend your knees and move around. 

Bipartite Patella

It is a condition in which the kneecap is composed of two sets of bones instead of one infused. It is often asymptomatic and does not cause a lot of pain. In some cases, there may be a minute locking up of knees, and may be prone to injuries.

Arthritis

This is a chronic condition where the bones' cartilages begin to degenerate for various reasons. There are several types of arthritis, and it may worsen as you age. It often causes inflammation of the joints and tenderness in the muscles around the joints.

Beat Your Knee Pain With Physiotattva

It is essential to care for your knees, and we at Physiotattva are always happy to help. Our team of trained professionals is specialists in understanding various forms of care needed for knee pain and are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to diagnose the condition accurately.

Reach out to our experts today to find a comprehensive treatment plan for knee pain

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I diagnose my knee pain?

You can look out for various symptoms mentioned in the list and get an idea of possible conditions. It is recommended to visit an orthopedic doctor or physical therapist who can help diagnose knee injuries accurately through scans, examinations, and blood tests.

How is knee arthritis diagnosed?

Knee arthritis is diagnosed through a series of blood tests and imaging, a physical examination, and an understanding of the individual's medical history.