Inflammations in the knee
Like almost any other organ, the kneecap can also become inflamed. This can lead to considerable pain and restricted movement in the knee joint. The main symptom of an inflammation of the knee joint is knee pain, especially in the front part of the knee joint and above/below the kneecap directly.
The most common cause of an inflammation of the kneecap is overstrain. Incorrect or overloading of the knee can easily lead to irritation and inflammation of the patellar tendon, which is associated with severe knee pain and restricted mobility. Pain at the lower end of the kneecap is typical.
The most important measure in therapy in the case of an inflammation of the patellar tendon is sparing. In most cases, an inflammation of the quadriceps tendon results from chronic overloading of the tendon and all structures connected with it. The affected person becomes aware of it primarily through a point-like pressure pain exactly above the corresponding tendon section. To treat an inflammation of the quadriceps tendon, a conservative therapy can be considered at the beginning.
Specific diseases of the knee joint
In medical terminology, the term M. Ahlbäck is used to describe a disease in which extensive bone death (aseptic osteonecrosis) in the area of the lower part of the thigh (femoral condyle) does not occur due to infection. In most cases, the reasons for the occurrence of M. Ahlbäck’s disease are based on a poor blood supply in the lower part of the thigh. The disease known as Sinding-Larsen’s disease is an extremely painful inflammatory reaction in the area of the knee joint.
The majority of patients affected are young people. Sinding-Larsen’s disease occurs more frequently in athletes. The treatment of Sinding-Larsen’s disease is divided into non-operative and operative measures.
Arthrofibrosis is a dreaded joint disease, the cause of which is largely unknown, following surgery or injury, resulting in a more or less severe, sometimes painful, restriction of joint mobility. A distinction is made between primary arthrofibrosis, which is characterized by generalized scarring in the joint, and secondary arthrofibrosis, in which local mechanical irritations are the cause of limited movement. Osgood-Schlatter’s disease is a painful irritation of the insertion of the patellar tendon (patellar tendon) at the anterior tibia.
This can lead to detachment and death (necrosis) of bone fragments from the tibia.A dead bone district is formed. As this osteonecrosis is not infectious (not caused by bacteria, viruses or others), it is classified as aseptic osteonecrosis. A Baker cyst is a protrusion of the posterior joint capsule caused by internal knee diseases with chronic knee joint effusion.
A Baker’s cyst is particularly common in older people due to wear and tear of the knee joint and in children (usually without a clear cause). The diagnosis of a Baker’s cyst can generally be made by a physician. Osteochondrosis dissecans (OD) is a disease that frequently occurs in the growing and young adult age and affects the knee joint to approximately 85%.
In the course of this disease, bone death occurs close to the cartilage, whereby a piece of cartilage located above the affected bone region can detach from its bond. The pain of the kneecap is also known as femoropatellar pain syndrome (PFFS). PFFS is one of the most common symptoms in the anterior knee region. Behind PFSS there is no uniform clinical picture, but rather a very complex clinical picture, which is discussed very differently in terms of definition, diagnosis and etiology (causes).
