The knee, one of the largest and most complex joints of the body, is designed for mobility and stability.  The knee is basically a hinge joint between the femur and the tibia.  It allows the motion of flexion and extension.  A slight degree of rotation and lateral motion is allowed when the knee is flexed, but since the knee lacks the bony stability of the hip joint, it must depend upon muscles and strong ligaments to bind the component bones together.

Although the knee is the largest joint in the body, it is certainly not the strongest. Because of its exposed position and the great functional demands imposed on it by weight-bearing stress such as walking, running and jumping, the knee suffers derangement of its function and stability more frequently than any other joint.

Joints should be noiseless, so having noise coming from the joint usually means there is some wear and tear in the surfaces of the bones.  A noise when you bend or straighten the knee usually comes from wearing away the surface of the kneecap rubbing along the thighbone.

In physical therapy, we have found the muscles on the front of the thigh do not contract in the normal coordinated fashion, causing the kneecap to move out of its normal “groove.” This causes a wearing away of the undersurface of the kneecap and after a while sounds like sandpaper scraping with movement. Oftentimes, this noise can be decreased or eliminated by reeducating the muscles so the movement occurring at the kneecap is back in the groove.

If your knee occasionally buckles or locks, you should see your physician as this could be due to a variety of causes. Oftentimes, this is associated with a mechanical problem or a “loose body” in the knee, which means something in the joint is interfering with normal function.

Swelling usually follows an injury and means an inflammatory process has started, as this is the body’s way to heal. Sometimes swelling indicates bleeding inside the joint.

Conditioning in the body tends to be very specific, which means if you are a runner, your muscles and joints are conditioned to running, not necessarily mountain climbing or swimming. So, if you want to get your knees in shape to do lifting activities, do an exercise program involving incrementally more challenging lifting activities. Likewise, if you want to get your knees in shape for skiing, do exercises and activities most like movements used in skiing.

Use common sense and listen to your body. Aim for prevention whenever possible and seek out help when appropriate. Your body does communicate to you. You just need to listen.

At Friendship Heights Rehab Center, the staff works in collaboration with the patient’s primary care doctor to manage a patient’s health and wellness over the long term, helping to cut down on habit forming pain relief drugs. A goal at FHRC is to educate the patient about common conditions that cause chronic pain. Understanding combined with the correct therapy can bring natural relief from knee pain as well as other chronic conditions.

If you have any questions, please submit them to:
Therese Rodda, P.T.
trodda@fhrehab.com

Friendship Heights Rehabilitation Center
5530 Wisconsin Avenue,
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
301 656-6922

10801 Lockwood Drive, Suite 280,
Silver Spring, MD 20901
301 576-6474

Links:
http://fhrehab.com/index.html - Friendship Heights Rehabilitation Center - Maryland Physical Therapy - Metro DC area
http://fhrehab.com/ptServices.html - Physical Therapy Programs
http://fhrehab.com/wellnessServices.html - Wellness Services

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