Whether you’ve just injured your knee, been experiencing pain for a while or have a knee condition, we have a wealth of experience to support you. Explore the location of your knee pain, different conditions of the knee and types of treatment.
Explore your knee pain
The location of your knee pain can help diagnose what condition you may have.
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Front Knee PainĀ –Ā Pain at the front (anterior) of the knee may also be called anterior knee pain (AKP). Anterior simply means ‘front’.
Back Knee PainĀ – Pain behind the knee is also called posterior knee pain. ‘Posterior’ just means behind.
Inner Knee PainĀ –Ā Inner knee pain may also be called medial knee pain. Medial means middle ā so refers to pain on the inner side of your knee.
Outer Knee PainĀ –Ā Outer knee pain may also be called lateral knee pain (LKP). Lateral means outer side. It refers to pain on the outer side of your knee.
Learn about knee conditions
Already know what knee injury you have?
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury – An ACL injury can be a partial or a complete tear, an overstretch, or a detachment of the ligament.
Ilio-tibial band (ITB) friction syndromeĀ – The most common cause of pain on the outside of the knee in runners and other sports people.
Infrapatellar fat pad impingement –Ā When your fat pad becomes pinched (impinged) between your kneecap and thigh bone, or your thigh and shin bones.
Knee injury – Cause pain, swelling and instability (the feeling that your knee is going to give way). They’re often caused by ligament damage.
Knee osteoarthritis – Osteoarthritis is a disease that causes pain and stiffness in your joints. Your knee is one of the joints thatās most commonly affected.
Lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injury – An LCL injury is often associated with injuries to the ligaments and tendons in this area, as well as to other parts of the knee.
Medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury – The MCL is the most commonly injured knee ligament. It often gets injured during sports such as rugby. It’s common to injure one of your cruciate ligaments, or your meniscus, at the same time as your MCL.
Meniscal tear – Tears of the menisci are a common injury. They often happen when you play sports, but they can also happen as a result of age-related wear and tear as you get older. When people talk about a ‘torn cartilage’ in their knee they usually mean a meniscus injury.
Patellar tendinopathy (jumper’s knee) – Patellar tendinopathy is also called ‘jumperās knee’ because the injury commonly occurs during sports that involve jumping, such as basketball, netball or volleyball. It’s also sometimes referred to as patellar tendonitis.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome – Patellofemoral pain syndrome is sometimes called ‘runner’s knee’ because it’s particularly common in people who run or do other sports.
Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury – If you only injure your PCL, you may have no (or few) symptoms at first, and may not even be aware that you’ve damaged it. You’ll probably be able to walk normally afterwards. You may get some pain behind your knee though, especially when you kneel, and there might be some mild swelling.
Treatment and care
ACL reconstructionĀ – Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is a type of knee surgery to replace the ACL, usually using a tendon from another part of your body.
Knee arthroscopy – Knee arthroscopy is a type of keyhole surgery used to diagnose and treat knee pain or other knee problems.
Knee replacement – Knee replacement surgery involves removing parts of your knee joint and replacing them with artificial ones.
