Knee pain resident survival guide

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Tayyaba Ali, M.D.[2]

Synonyms and keywords:

Causes

Traumatic and activity-related causes of knee pain

Anterior Knee Pain
Patellar subluxation or dislocation Tibial apophysitis (Osgood-Schlatter lesion) Jumper's knee (patellar tendonitis) Patellofemoral pain syndrome (chondromalacia patellae)
Medial Knee Pain
Medial collateral ligament sprain Medial meniscal tear Pes anserine bursitis Medial plica syndrome
Lateral Knee Pain
Lateral collateral ligament sprain Lateral meniscal tear Iliotibial band tendonitis
Posterior Knee Pain
A popliteal cyst (Baker's cyst) as a result of sport-related injury Posterior cruciate ligament injury

Non-Traumatic causes of knee pain

Unilateral Knee Pain
Septic Arthritis Gout Pseudogout (acute calcium pyrophosphate crystal arthritis)
Bilateral Knee Pain
Osteoarthritis Rheumatoid Arthritis Systemic Lupus Erythematosis Baker cyst as a result of Rheumatoid arthritis and Osteoarthritis

Diagnosis

Shown below is an algorithm summarizing the diagnosis of [[disease name]] according to the [...] guidelines.

Seek proper history: Onset of knee pain Have you noticed: ❑ Warmth of joint ❑ Redness of joint ❑ Stiffness of joint ❑ Swelling of joint ❑ Weakness of joint ❑ Numbness or tingling of joint ❑ Discoloration of fingers in the cold ❑ Discomfort on exposure to sunlight ❑ Pain in any other joint

Examine the patient: ❑ HEENT signs: Conjunctival pallor Jaundice ❑ Inspection of the knee: Skin changes Color changes Physical abnormality Swelling Scar marks ❑ Palpation of knee

Treatment

Shown below is an algorithm summarizing the treatment of [[disease name]] according the the [...] guidelines.

Do's

• The content in this section is in bullet points.

Don'ts

• The content in this section is in bullet points.