Can PFPS cause a creaking sound in knee?

[mil7083]

I am a 21 year old female. I used to be anorexic and bad a pretty bad exercise addiction - running around 20km daily. Now running about 7 km a day and have lately been feeling like there is some sort of strange feeling in my knees, hard to describe, same creakiness as you would expect with the worn out door hinges?

I don't have any major pain in knees after running, just a constant dull ache thats worse with squatting and going up and down stirs - but if I place my hand on the knee cap and then bend my knee and straighten out , I can feel the vibrations like how a door hinge gives a vibration as we move the door. Really concerned. Please help!

I can feel something like a weird grinding/vibrating sensation "in" my knee (Not in the same way I imagine tendonitis to do) when I move my feet up and down after having them placed on the ground (especially noticeable when driving), or even sometimes lying down flat on my back rotating my leg while just having my heel on the ground. I also can push at my patella with my fingers and create the same grinding sensation, and sometimes I even feel like my patella is "loose" or floating in ways it should not be (this is also most noticeable when going over even minor bumps while driving).

Also I sometimes get some redness and inflammation around my knee in the afternoon? Please help! very scared this is osteoarthritis.

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[mil7083]

anyone? i could really use some help

[PhysioPete]

anyone? i could really use some help

First thing, the creaking feeling (crepitus) doesn't actually relate to the condition of the joint or cartilage. I wouldn't put too much emphasis on it - some healthy knees do it, some knees don't. It's not a sign of arthritis. The "looseness" of the patella can also be just a natural variation. It doesn't relate to how it functions so patella mobility at rest can also be ignored.

Re: your comment about osteoarthritis, it's a long process that happens over decades. It relates to the condition of the osteochondral surface in the knee. Unfortunately your past history means that you're at risk of structural changes to the surface, but it doesn't mean that your knees will suddenly decline.

The ache and pressure you feel on squatting and stairs may be related to cartilage irritation - anything from abnormal loading or softening of the surface can cause it. I also sounds like it's triggering an acute inflammatory response (due to the redness and inflammation).

Overall, strength training and controlled return to full loading sorts this out in a vast majority of cases. Running shoes can also make a difference, with cushioned shoes requiring less knee flexion and patella loading. Occasionally meds can assist with the training but they shouldn't be used in isolation just to reduce the symptoms.

Hope that helps.