Inner Knee Pain

You may discover that activities such as walking more, running or squatting start to cause pain on the inside part of your knee. Sometimes, you have had an injuy such as a hard knock or a twist of the knee causing the problem. It is helpful to think of it in terms of what structure is giving rise to the pain. Possible causes for pain on the inside of the knee include:

– Meniscus tears: The meniscus is a shock-absorbing cushion in the knee. Tears of the meniscus can cause patients to feel severe pain on the inside of the knee. Frequently, patients are in their 40’s to 50’s, and many patients start having this pain after some event, for example a period of intense exercise or walking a lot while on holiday. Sometimes, it is a twisting injury of the knee that causes a meniscus tear.

– Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) injury: Usually, this would be clearly related to an injury, where the lower leg gets forcefully bent outwards, causing a stretch of the inside of the knee. The MCL is an important ligament, and MCL injuries may range from a minor stretch to a complete tear. One important thing is that many MCL injuries do not recover fully by themselves, even after months of rest. Such cases will require treatment to ensure proper recovery.

– Cartilage damage: This is a wear-and-tear condition that wears down the cartilage of the knee over time. Patients with this typically develop the pain over time, and are in their late 50’s to 60’s. Patients report feeling pain, soreness and tightness on the inside of the knee. They frequently feel this at night, and it is worse with more walking.

– Other causes: Various other conditions can cause pain on the inside of the knee, including scar tissue from previous injuries and serious causes such as a growth or tumour. The important thing is not to self-manage for beyond a short period of time and seek medical attention early.