When Knee Pain Isn't Arthritis: Other Common Causes

Arthritis gets the blame for most knee pain, and often rightly so. But several other problems produce very similar symptoms, and they respond to quite different treatment — so the cause is worth pinning down before assuming the worst.

Meniscus (cartilage) tears

A twisting injury, or simple wear over time, can tear the cushioning cartilage. The knee may catch, click or briefly give way, and there is often tenderness along the joint line.

Ligament problems

Sports injuries frequently involve the ligaments that stabilise the knee. A feeling of instability — that the knee cannot quite be trusted — is the tell-tale sign, more than pain alone.

Tendon and kneecap pain

Pain at the front of the knee, worse on stairs or after sitting for a while, often comes from the tendons or from how the kneecap tracks — not from arthritis at all.

So what should you do?

Persistent knee pain that limits what you do deserves a proper look: an examination, and imaging where it is warranted. The good news is that many of these causes improve considerably without surgery once they are correctly identified.