Why the knee swells and hurts when bending

Many people suffer from pain in their knees from time to time. This is not surprising, because every day we put our knees under great strain.

The biggest risk group in this issue are athletes.

But the trauma can also arise in the case of an ordinary person engaged in active rest when performing work related to physical efforts.

The knee is the largest and most functionally complex joint in our body. Although the knee joint is large in size, it is a fairly vulnerable place in terms of its structure. To understand why, briefly describe the anatomy of the knee.

Anatomical short course

Anatomy under the notion of the knee means the knee joint. The knee joint is indeed the main part of the knee.

But in the formation of the knee, as part of the leg, the muscles of the thigh and lower leg, mainly their tendons, also take part.

In the formation of the knee joint involved condyles of the femur, the upper articular surface of the tibia and the patella. To soften the tremors during movements, two meniscus contribute: medial and lateral.

Basically, the movement when the leg is bent and unbent at the knee joint occurs between the condyles of the femur and the meniscus. The knee joint also strengthens a number of ligaments.

About what pain in the knee

Usually knee pain during flexion and extension is associated with damage to one of its components.

In case of severe knee injury, swelling and local temperature increase may occur.

The knee often hurts, including flexion, after an injury.

Injury can be caused by a severe knee-kick, a blow against a hard object, or a fall. When a trauma occurs immediately manifestations of pain, there is a bruise and swelling.

Because of swelling, nerve endings are squeezed, which leads to a feeling of numbness or a feeling of tingling in the knee or shin.

If the pain manifests when flexing the

Among the reasons why the knee is very sore when flexing, you can distinguish the following:

1. Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic autoimmune disease of connective tissue, which is characterized by joint damage and further development of destructive changes in them. In the initial stages, pain in the knee occurs only during movement or flexion, but in the future, pain disturbs the person and at rest. In the joint area there is swelling and redness. For rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by morning stiffness, lasting at least an hour.
2. Gouty arthritis occurs due to the deposition of uric acid salts in articular and periarticular tissues. It is characterized by acute, unbearable pain in the knee joint, which is strengthened with the slightest movements or attempts to change the position.
3. Knee Osteoarthritis ( gonarthrosis) is a chronic progressive destructive knee disease that occurs due to various causes. Gonarthrosis is characterized by pains of a mechanical nature, disturbing at first only when the joint is loaded. When performing flexion, the pain may extend to the shin and thigh. Palpation is determined by soreness of the joint, its compaction and restriction in motion. In later stages, joint deformity occurs, its increase in volume, joint joint narrowing. If you do not make timely treatment, a person faces disability.
4. Tendonitis is an inflammatory process of the knee ligament apparatus. The most common among athletes. The main symptom is the pain that occurs in the anterior region of the knee and only with physical exertion.
5. Bursitis is an inflammatory process of the periarticular bag. Most often bursitis develops on the background of injuries, frequent mechanical damage to the joint and infections. Pain occurs when performing active activities involving the knee joint. The joint blushes, becomes swollen and sometimes significantly increases in volume.
6. Osgood-Schlatter disease is an osteochondropathy of tuberosity of the tibia. It occurs usually in adolescence in males actively engaged in running sports. The disease is characterized by intense pain in the knee and lower leg when flexing in the knee joint. Usually, in a state of rest, pain does not arise.

Sometimes pain in the knee joint may occur due to sciatic nerve inflammation or when the subcutaneous nerve branches are infringed, for example when wearing high, narrow boots.

The cause of pain in flexion may be dissecting osteochondritis - a disease in which the bone region becomes dead and its rejection into the joint space.

For this disease, pains are permanent, noisy, localized on the anterior or anteroposterior surface of the knee joint.

The following acute injuries also can cause pain:

• meniscus injury;
• rupture of ligaments and tendons;
• tibial ligament rupture;
• fracture of the upper portion of the lower leg, lower femur, patella;
• patella dislocation;
• knee dislocation.

What kinds of pains exist

There are several different types of pain in the knee joint:

1. Sudden pain is characteristic of fresh injuries, joint block with meniscus lesions, and also for the introduction of bone elements into soft tissues.
2. Aching occurs in the case of chronic joint processes: inflammation, the initial stages of arthrosis or vascular disorders.
3. Shooting is typical for inflammatory processes involving nerve endings.
4. Strong happens in case of infringement of a nerve, the block at breaks of a meniscus and other sharp traumas.
5. The constant is characteristic for spasms of nearby muscles, capsule fibrosis, reactive synovitis and neuropathies.
6. Pulsating occurs during acute inflammatory processes of soft tissue, for the initial stages of rheumatoid arthritis and vascular disorders.
7. The cutting indicates a rupture of the meniscus and the junction block, or the pinching of the nerve.
8. Drawing is characteristic for various stages of development of the majority of pathologies.
9. Pain below the knee occurs during injuries of meniscuses, tendons and ligaments, fractures of the patella and periosteal detachment.
10. Pain above the knee indicates coxarthrosis, spinal problems, and vascular disorders.
11. The spreading pain is characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis.

Diagnostic methods

The most common diagnostic method is radiography .It is usually carried out in two projections: direct and lateral.

A single-shot, direct snapshot of both knee joints is usually done for comparison. In the lateral projection, the function of the joint can be evaluated, with the maximum extension being the ratio of the hip and shank axis.

Often, doctors perform diagnostic puncture of the joint, the resulting joint fluid is sent to a laboratory study.

Also for the specification of the diagnosis, such instrumental methods of investigation are prescribed:

• magnetic resonance imaging;
• ultrasonography;
• radionuclide diagnostics;
• arthroscopy;
• thermography.

First aid

You can try to remove the pain syndrome with such medicines as aspirin, acetaminophen, naproxen, dexalgin.

For chronic pain, you can wear special orthopedic insoles, helping to redistribute your weight. But still, it is better to see a doctor for the diagnosis of the disease in the early stages.

What treatment is prescribed by

A mandatory component of the treatment, if the knee is very sore while flexing, is reducing the load on the joint.

During periods of exacerbation, patients are shown a strict bed rest. Shoes should be worn soft and comfortable.

The objectives of conservative treatment are:

• improvement of the overall functional activity of the affected leg;
• pain reduction;
• slowing down the progression process.

Conservative treatment includes the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotectors, providing restoration of elasticity of cartilage tissue and its mechanical integrity, local treatment.

Local treatment is carried out through the application of gels, ointments, aerosols and compresses.

The arthroscopic operation is most often performed. In advanced cases, joint replacement is performed.

Complications of

If you do not continue to treat ailments for a long time, permanent unbearable pain can occur, resulting in a significant deterioration in the quality of life, disability and disability.

In order not to bring yourself to this state and surgical treatment, it is necessary to contact a qualified specialist in a timely manner.