Pain in the back of the knee is a bothersome condition that can have many different causes. This problem can be caused by both muscle inflammation and abnormalities in the tendons themselves or the appearance of a specific cyst in the popliteal fossa. What tests can find the cause of the pain in the back of the knee and what should be done to stop the patient from experiencing unpleasant ailments?
Pain in the back of the kneemay have different causes. Patients may experience discomfort in different parts of the knee, and in fact, precisely locating the pain is crucial. The causes of pain in the front of the knee are different and the causes of pain in the back of the kneeare different . The most common causes of pain in its back part are cysts and inflammation of the muscles or tendons in the knee joint. There are also degenerations of the patella, which are manifested by pain in the back of the knees.
Pain in the back of the knee: common causes
The knee is one of the most complex human joints in terms of structure. Its rear part is called the popliteal area, and the depression in this area is called the poplitear fossa.
The knee - just like other structures of the human body - can be affected by various pathological processes. The most common mention is the restriction of his mobility. However, knee pain is also a common problem. There are many causes of knee pain in the back of the knee. The most common of them include:
Baker's cyst
One of the possible causes of popliteal pain is a Baker's cyst (aka popliteal cyst). This cyst is nothing more than a lump at the back of the knee and filled with fluid.
Its appearance is usually accompanied by swelling (often severe) in the lower knee area and limitation of the mobility of the lower limb in the form of difficulties with full extension of the leg.
A Baker's cyst may develop in different people. However, the increased risk of its occurrence concerns people who regularly engage in intense physical activity, as well as overweight and obese patients.
Muscle inflammation
There are many different muscles associated with the knee and pathologies relating to these structures may also be the causepain in the back of the knee. Muscle strain and inflammation can occur as a result of intense exercise or improper exercise.
Pain in the knee area can lead to muscle dysfunction, such as:
- biceps muscle of the thigh,
- semimembraneous muscle,
- semitendosus
- is the hamstring muscle.
Tendonitis
Pain in the popliteal area may be the result of a dysfunction of the muscle fibers, but also of the tendons associated with them. The reasons may be similar to those already described - inflammation of the tendons may be the result of, for example, extremely intense physical activity.
Pain in the back of the knee may be experienced primarily by those patients who develop hamstring, gastrocnemius or biceps tendon inflammation.
Patellar damage
Meniscus are the structures of the knee joint, which perform, among others, shock-absorbing function, and in addition, they allow you to perform rotational movements when bending the knee joint. As you can easily guess, various damage to them can also cause pain in the area of the knee joint.
Pain in the back of the knee may appear in patients when the lateral meniscus is damaged, in particular its posterior corner. Patients who experience this problem usually complain of pain in the back of the knee and a feeling of instability in the knee.
Pain in the back of the knee: rarer causes
Above are the most common causes of pain in the back of the knee. It happens, however, that other pathologies also lead to the problem. Sometimes a popliteal aneurysm is responsible for complaints of patients with pain in the popliteal area.
Deep vein thrombosis may also be a possible cause of discomfort. Pain in the back of the knee can also occur in those who develop osteoarthritis.
Pain in the back of the knee: diagnosis
Because the causes of pain in the back of the knee can be different, it may not be easy to diagnose any particular pain and may require a lot of different tests.
Initially, however, the most important thing is to do an interview. It consists in obtaining information from the patient:
- since he has pain in the knee area,
- whether the pain occurred for the first time or again,
- and whether there are any factors that increase or decrease the severity of pain.
Later a physical examination is performed,consisting in determining, inter alia, possible palpation pain, examination of the mobility of the knee joint, but also careful palpation of the popliteal fossa (during which, for example, a Baker's cyst may be detected).
The subjective and physical examination quite often allows for an initial diagnosis. Usually, however - to confirm the diagnosis - additional tests are necessary. These are mainly imaging tests, such as:
- RTG,
- USG,
- computed tomography
- Does magnetic resonance imaging.
Magnetic resonance imaging is the most accurate test for assessing the structures of the knee joint.
In rare cases, exploratory arthroscopy is also used in diagnostics.
Back Knee Pain: Treatment
Patients struggling with pain in the popliteal area may be offered various treatment methods. Initially, symptomatic treatment is usually applied, consisting in taking medications with analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Later on, the management depends on what exactly led to the pain in the back of the patient's knee. People with strained muscles can primarily benefit from physical therapy.
In patients who develop a Baker's cyst, it may be necessary at some point to perform a puncture, during which the fluid accumulated inside will be removed.
- Puncture of the knee joint: indications and course
- Patellar chondromalacia - damage to the articular surface of the patella
- Degeneration of the knee joints (gonarthrosis). Knee degeneration causes and treatment