Associated symptoms of pain in the hollow of the knee

If the pain in the hollow of the knee has a traumatic cause, swelling and overheating of the knee often occurs within a short time after the accident. The knee is limited in its mobility and in case of a meniscus injury, it causes severe pain in the hollow of the knee, especially during rotary movements. If a Baker cyst is the cause of the pain, a bump in the hollow of the knee can usually be palpated (in contrast to the traumatic causes, where the swelling tends to cover the entire knee).

Here, too, the mobility of the knee joint may be impaired. The pain tends to develop continuously over a longer period of time and no concrete accident event can be remembered as the trigger. In leg vein thrombosis, the pain in the hollow of the knee and lower leg is usually accompanied by a feeling of pressure.

Compared to the other leg, the affected leg may appear thicker, warmer and more reddened. If these observations are present, a doctor must be consulted immediately, who can assess the risk of thrombosis on the basis of the patient’s history (long flight, previous illnesses, medication intake, etc.) and take further diagnostic measures if necessary.

In the case of a herniated disc, the pain in the hollow of the knee is more likely to be a secondary finding, since the pain can radiate from the back along the affected nerve to the back of the thigh and evenly into the hollow of the knee and lower leg. In more severe cases, in addition to the described radiating pain, nerve failures can also occur, i.e. paralysis or numbness in the legs or in the pubic region. Many structures that supply the feet pass through the hollow of the knee.

These are both nerves and vessels. A numbness can be caused, for example, by the fact that the blood supply to the foot is no longer guaranteed. If this phenomenon occurs in the case of pain in the popliteal fossa, one should think of a blockage in the popliteal artery.

Damage to the nerve that runs through the popliteal fossa can also cause numbness in the foot. At this point it is recommended that you also read our main page on this topic: Deafness – What is behind it? deafness in the leg is similar to deafness in the foot.

Mostly the lower leg is affected because the vessels and nerves that supply the lower leg have to pass through the hollow of the knee. In the case of nerve damage, the so-called sensitive nerve fibers can be affected. These send information about touch, temperature, pressure and pain to the brain.

If this connection is interrupted, the leg feels numb. The reduced blood flow due to a blood clot in the artery can also cause numbness. Anyone who sits cross-legged for a long time is familiar with the numbness and tingling in the legs. This is probably caused by a strong kinking of the nerves and vessels in the hollow of the knee. More about this process can be found here:

Nerve damage – What are the consequences?
Circulatory disorders in the legs