Outside knee pain can be caused due to various reasons, ranging from any visible knee injury to an incorrectly formed posture. This article provides some information on the same.

Pain in any part of the knee is a common cause of concern for more than 45% of the total human population. The chances of experiencing knee pain gets increased during the later stages of life like middle age and old age. Knee is the largest of all the hinge joints present in the body, which accommodates the movements of the legs. Along with helping to move the leg forward and backward, it also helps us to bend, twist, straighten, and rotate the leg. Due to such higher amount of action, knees are constantly on the verge of getting injured.

Knee pain can be caused by the overuse or lack of proper movement of the knees, wrong methods of exercising, exercising without proper warm up or cooling down, and wrong posture of the knees. Location of the knee pain can be different, depending on which part of the knee is stressed for a longer period of time. Hence, there is a huge array of reasons as to why one experiences this problem. Similarly, it can be caused by an acute knee injury or a wrong knee posture. Symptoms of outside knee pain include grinding sound and popping within the knee, swelling of the knee and locking of the knee, which restricts its normal movements.

Causes

Ligament Injury
There are four types of ligaments present in the knee including; medial collateral ligament, lateral collateral ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, and the anterior cruciate ligament. These ligaments stabilize the knee and control all of its movements. These ligaments of the knee can get injured after a sudden trauma and/or excessive stress. Any of such conditions flaws the basic function of one of these ligaments, leading to outside knee pain. Ligament injury is also one of the main reasons for knee pain after running.

Meniscus Injury
The meniscus is a piece of a C-shaped cartilage, which is curved within the knee joint. Cartilage tear and ligament tear, lead to various injuries of the meniscus. A meniscus injury can be caused due to some common reasons, like excessive stress and abnormal movement of the legs. Meniscus injury is accompanied with excruciating pain and swelling. The person experiences extremely sharp knee pain when bending or straightening the legs.

Bursitis
Bursitis is the medical condition, which is caused due to the inflammation of the bursae. A bursa is a small fluid-filled sac, that works as a cushion for the knee joints. It helps in the movements of the tendons and ligaments present in the knee. This sac gets damaged or injured, due to any physical trauma, leading to this condition. Several symptoms of the bursitis include swelling, pain, warmth, stiffness, and redness of the knee.

Dislocated Kneecap
Kneecap is also known as patella, which is a triangular bone, covering the frontal part of the knee. Slipping of the kneecap from its place leads to its dislocation, which can cause the pain. Along with sharp knee pain, a dislocated kneecap also causes excessive swelling and knee pain while running, walking, and straightening the legs.

Arthritis
Arthritis is an umbrella term, which is used for recognizing disorder of the joints, due to a variety of reasons. There are several types of arthritis that lead to knee pain, some of which are - septic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and gout. Amongst these, septic arthritis is caused due to infection of the knee joint. Along with swelling and pain, it is also accompanied with mild fever. Osteoarthritis, which is also called degenerative arthritis leads to this condition. Osteoarthritis is typically observed amongst elderlies.

Tendinitis
Tendinitis is a medical condition, which is caused due to inflammation and irritation of the tendons, which are present in the knee. It is a common reason for outside knee pain amongst runners and such athletes. Along with the typical symptoms, symptoms of tendinitis include swelling which is located just below the kneecap and aggravating pain, while performing activities like running, jumping, and climbing the stairs.

Other Causes
There are many other relevant causes leading to this condition like the iliotibial band syndrome, hyperextended knee, chondromalacia (caused as a result of the arthritis of the kneecap), Osgood-Schlatter disease, and minor strain and sprain, etc. A very rare cause that leads to this condition is bone tumor, which is caused due to radiation, trauma, and inherited genetic mutations.

In most cases, a mild pain in the knee fades away with some simple home remedies and suitable knee exercises. Consuming prescribed dosage of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is also a good way to treat the pain. However, in case of excruciating pain, swelling, visible knee deformity, and fever; one must always visit a specialist in orthopedics. The best way of treating the pain is to get to know its exact cause. The doctor will examine the knee and after performing the required examination, he/she would suggest the appropriate course of treatment for the pain.

Disclaimer: This Buzzle article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.