Associated symptoms | Pulling in the hollow of the knee – Is that dangerous?

Associated symptoms

Pulling in the hollow of the knee often occurs in connection with knee injuries and is due to the swelling of the joint. Accompanying symptoms are knee pain, which occurs particularly during stress. Overheating of the knee and limited mobility are also noticeable.

Mobility can be limited in both flexion and extension. However, pulling in the hollow of the knee typically occurs mainly during stretching. If ligament structures in the knee are injured, the joint often feels additionally unstable, so that a normal occurrence (also due to pain) is not possible.

Instead, affected persons limp, sometimes forearm crutches are also necessary as aids. Pressure pain can also occur at the knee joint and especially in the hollow of the knee. This is particularly noticeable in the case of the Baker cyst.

If nerve damage is the cause of pulling in the hollow of the knee, a loss of strength and sensory disturbances may also occur. Furthermore, the pulling cannot be limited to the hollow of the knee. If the cause is a shortened musculature, the sensation usually extends over the entire course of the affected musculature. This usually affects either the calf or the back of the thigh.

Pulling in the hollow of the knee while walking

Pulling during movement generally indicates mechanical damage to the musculoskeletal system. While pain, which is also present at rest, tends to indicate a more dangerous event, it is relatively certain that the movement is the trigger for the pain or the pulling. It is also important whether the pain occurs only when walking or already when walking.

Although we use the same muscles and the same joints in both processes, running places a much greater strain on the musculoskeletal system than walking. Pulling while walking therefore tends to indicate more severe damage than pulling while running. It is also helpful if the pulling can be localized more precisely within the hollow of the knee.

Pulling in the lower part of the hollow of the knee – i.e. in the direction of the calf – is more likely to indicate tendon irritation or strain of the triceps surae muscle. The triceps surae has three (“tri-“) muscle heads, all of which originate in the area of the hollow of the knee.The Triceps surae is also commonly known as the “calf muscles”. Where a muscle is attached to a bone, there are tendons that fix the muscle body to the bone. These tendons can be irritated – for example by intensive running training – and cause pulling. This is rather harmless and should disappear by taking it easy on the muscles or not occur at all during gentle training.