Clues
A feeling as if the knee will give way, pain when getting in and out of a car, particularly if the left knee is affected. Visualize getting into a car. When sliding into the driver's seat, all of your weight is on your left leg. Getting out of the car, the left leg is placed on the street and the weight of the body is raised on the left leg and knee. The lower the seat, the more the stress on the knee. Those with runner's knee who use a clutch will also notice that the left knee is uncomfortable when depressing the clutch. Stiff or achy knee after prolonged sitting discomfort when squatting, kneeling or hopping (Doing squats or leg extensions in the gym may be the cause of the knee damage.) pain when walking downstairs; occasionally when walking upstairs pain with lateral thrusting movements such as those used in racquet sports or aerobics All of the factors which precipitate knee pain are those where the knee is bent and there is pressure placed on the foot or when doing leg extension exercises on machines with a bar across the front of the ankle.

Show and Tell

The runner can look at his knee and find a few things, which could suggest the existence of runner's knee as the cause of pain. 1. I look at the quad muscle just above the knee on the inside of the leg known as the VMO. Frequently with runner's knee, there is poor development or weakness of this portion of the quad muscle. 2. While sitting in a chair extending the leg, watch the patella move. Often with runner's knee pain, when the leg is almost fully extended, the kneecap will move toward the outside of the leg. Patella movement is the result of a tracking abnormality of the patella, which predisposes to runner's knee pain. Patella tracking to the inside causes the same syndrome in a few runners. 3. X-rays are rarely abnormal but can offer evidence that other knee problems are not causing the pain. X-rays of the patella may show that it is deviated to the outside.