Ligament Sprains: When a ligament is sprained in the knee, instability may occur. The amount of instability is governed by the degree of sprain, and which ligament is sprained. The unstable knee will often show signs of sharp pain with certain movements, a dull ache when stationary, giving way with walking, limited range of motion, and swelling.

Patellar Tendonitis: Patellar tendonitis, or “Jumper’s Knee,” is defined as an inflammation of the patellar tendon, located on the bottom of the patella, running to your shin bone (tibia). This condition results from overuse, a sudden increase in exercise intensity, or tight quadriceps musculature. Symptoms include sharp pain on the tendon when touched, pain at the beginning and end of exercise, but not necessarily in the middle.

Patellofemoral Pain: Patellofemoral pain is described as pain at the front of the knee, radiating from around the patella. The sensation can be described as an achiness with no activity, or sharp pain when exercising. Pushing off of your leg, such as jumping or going up stairs, can duplicate the symptoms. This pain has many causes, such as muscle imbalances, lack of flexibility, and misalignment of the patella as it travels over the femur.

Patella Dislocation: Front-sided knee pain may result when the kneecap partly comes out of the groove (subluxation), or completely comes out (dislocation). This can stretch the supporting soft tissue that normally holds the patella in place, which may lead to reinjury. This can be caused by muscle strength imbalances, oddly shaped patella(s), or a shallow groove on the end of the thigh bone (femur).

Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis is a chronic joint diseasecharacterized by a deterioration of the ends of the bones thatmake up the knee joint. Signs and symptoms include swelling, stiffness, and a deep achiness or pain in the knee. Often, this condition can be attributed to prior injury, obesity, or being bow- legged or knock-kneed.