Posted: 4/20/2015 10:11:08 AM EDT
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I've tried googling for an answer but nothing I've found actually addresses my issue. It's my right knee. When going up stairs, it gives out. It's like at some point of joint rotation, it just fails. There is no pain. Just it gets to a point and it gets real week. There are no issues going down stairs. i can do leg extensions and leg presses in the gym with no weakness issue and no pain. No injury to the knee. No crunching. No swelling. This has been going on for a few years now. I'm not obese, just slightly overweight, moderately active. Any ideas? ETA - I just went up and down the stairs, trying to find out at what point the weakness starts and when I hit complete failure of the joint to hold up my weight. At maybe 10-20 degrees it starts, and at 50-60 degrees it just fails. Oh, and there is actually a small twinge of pain but it's hard to pinpoint, maybe the front of the joint by the kneecap. |
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Quoted:
I've tried googling for an answer but nothing I've found actually addresses my issue. It's my right knee. When going up stairs, it gives out. It's like at some point of joint rotation, it just fails. There is no pain. Just it gets to a point and it gets real week. There are no issues going down stairs. i can do leg extensions and leg presses in the gym with no weakness issue and no pain. No injury to the knee. No crunching. No swelling. This has been going on for a few years now. I'm not obese, just slightly overweight, moderately active. Any ideas? Yeah, don't use the leg press. That's for weaklings that want knee damage. Do you even squat, bro? |
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Quoted: See a doctor? Pretty much this. Any prior knee injuries? Arthritis? Do it at random times or only when you get fatigued? Both of my knees are bad due to previous injury and both will sporadically go out on me doing normal activities but it does get worse whe my muscles get tired. MRI likely in your future. |
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Quoted:
It's my right knee. When going up stairs, it gives out. It's like at some point of joint rotation, it just fails. There is no pain. Just it gets to a point and it gets real week. There are no issues going down stairs. i can do leg extensions and leg presses in the gym with no weakness issue and no pain. No injury to the knee. No crunching. No swelling. Osteochondroma perhaps? I had these exact symptoms when I was in high school and it turned out there was a bony tumor inside my knee. Basically I had chipped a growth plate a few years before, and it sort of went crazy when it healed. Looked like a stalk of broccoli on the x-ray. Had arthroscopy, doc sawed it off and smoothed over the stump. Absolute fucking agony for a week or so, then I was back to normal. Only thing I notice now is that my knee throbs when the weather changes. |
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Not sure what your issue is but Leg Extensions... don't do them. I've dropped them and have focused on big compound movements... squats and dead lifts.
excerpt from a reliable source on the risks of extensions. "The leg extension applies constant ACL tension, so people with ligament injuries should avoid this exercise, particularly when heavy weights are in use. There is an increased risk of lateral patellar deviation, no hamstring activity and increased joint stress in regards to shear forces. When you perform a leg extension with heavy weight, you drastically increase the chance of sustaining a knee injury, due to the forces involved. Finally, the training benefits realized in a leg extension do not carry over into real life except for kicking movements, so this exercise is not very practical." |
It happens when you're not paying attention.
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Quoted: Pretty much this. Any prior knee injuries? Arthritis? Do it at random times or only when you get fatigued? Both of my knees are bad due to previous injury and both will sporadically go out on me doing normal activities but it does get worse whe my muscles get tired. MRI likely in your future. Quoted: Quoted: See a doctor? Both of my knees are bad due to previous injury and both will sporadically go out on me doing normal activities but it does get worse whe my muscles get tired. MRI likely in your future. No injuries to that knee. My other one, yes, I broke my other leg and during traction my ligaments in my left knee healed in a stretched fashion, giving me "drawer knee". It just occurred to me that I did have a problem with "theater knee" (patellofemoral syndrome) in my right leg for many years, but it's been gone for a few years. Looking back on it, the two conditions, "theater knee" and this weakness, did not overlap. The theater knee went away, then at some point later the knee weakness showed up. Theater knee I'd seen an orthopod for like 20 year ago and since I had no weakness or other problems, he said to live with it, which I did, and it eventually went away. My left leg is my problem leg. The knee has a lot of play and the foot has severe flat foot (I practically walk on the inner side of my foot without my orthotics). My right leg has a good arch, and no ligaments issues in the knee. The weakness thing is always there. Just tried another thing. From standing, with my weight only on my right leg, I tried to sit down. As my knee bent, no issues at first, but at about halfway it just totally gave way. No explicit pain, but there is an odd sensation as it happens, hard to describe, but it's not painful. I didn't mention this before, but interestingly enough, when I do exercise my legs, like with a long walk, lifting weights, or riding my bike, this weakness reduces. So, it improves with exercise, it does not get worse. |
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Quoted: Yeah, don't use the leg press. That's for weaklings that want knee damage. Do you even squat, bro? Quoted: Quoted: I've tried googling for an answer but nothing I've found actually addresses my issue. It's my right knee. When going up stairs, it gives out. It's like at some point of joint rotation, it just fails. There is no pain. Just it gets to a point and it gets real week. There are no issues going down stairs. i can do leg extensions and leg presses in the gym with no weakness issue and no pain. No injury to the knee. No crunching. No swelling. This has been going on for a few years now. I'm not obese, just slightly overweight, moderately active. Any ideas? Yeah, don't use the leg press. That's for weaklings that want knee damage. Do you even squat, bro? Squats are hell on my back, I've got a bad disc. |
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Quoted: See a doctor? True story. I started having constant aching pain in my left hip about 10 years ago. It started mild, then got worse and worse. Not enough for pain killers, but it did alarm me. Went to an orthopedic doctor. He noted that I'd broken my left femur when I was 14, 20 years before, and with the degree of pain involved, and looking at the x-rays, he diagnosed me with Avascular Necrosis (AVN). Basically the inside of the femoral head (the round ball at the top of the bone) rots out from the inside, making the ball end a hollow sphere that will collapse, crushing shards of bone deep inside the socket. There is no treatment, only total hip replacement. Big risk factor is a broken femur as a teenager, and it typically shows up in the mid-30's. He was breaking the bad news to me and scheduling me for surgery that week. And also letting me know that the total hip replacments don't last forever, so I'll have to come in like 15 years to have that one replaced, and so on. I was devastated. Well, my insurance company balked. Major surgery and lots of money on the line. They had him send me to get an MRI, which can see inside the femoral head and see how much rot has occurred inside the bone. Turns out, none at all. The femoral head was fine. No AVN. The pain was caused by me only having like 20% range of motion and my ligaments and tendons had tightened so much, basically pressing the femoral head into the joint hard enough to cause pain. So, a few weeks of physical therapy and stretching and I'm fine. No life-changing surgery needed. Combine that with the two misdiagnoses of cancer I've had, and I'm skeptical of doctors. I'd rather be educated going in to a doctors appointment. Which is why I check the internet first. |
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Quoted: Not sure what your issue is but Leg Extensions... don't do them. I've dropped them and have focused on big compound movements... squats and dead lifts. excerpt from a reliable source on the risks of extensions. "The leg extension applies constant ACL tension, so people with ligament injuries should avoid this exercise, particularly when heavy weights are in use. There is an increased risk of lateral patellar deviation, no hamstring activity and increased joint stress in regards to shear forces. When you perform a leg extension with heavy weight, you drastically increase the chance of sustaining a knee injury, due to the forces involved. Finally, the training benefits realized in a leg extension do not carry over into real life except for kicking movements, so this exercise is not very practical." Extremely bad flat foot on my left side and a herniated disc limit my leg exercises. Squats are problematic. But honestly, I'm sure I can do something squat-like that should work, I just need to find some guidance. I brought up the leg extension thing as it's not the bending of the knee during a leg extension that kicks the weakness in. I only have the weakness when I'm bearing weight down on it and bending it. |
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Saw an orthopedic doctor yesterday. They took x-rays and he manipulated the joint and palpated and came up with nothing conclusive. Getting an MRI. Have to get my eyeballs x-rayed first, but it'll take about 3 weeks to get in to get the MRI. He thinks it could be where the tendon attaches to the top of the patella, or the cartilage underneath the patella could be misshapen. Otherwise, he says the x-rays show joints in great shape. |
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Lose the extra weight. That's where I'd start. It made a world of difference for me. I got rid of sciatic nerve issues, and some of my back troubles by losing weight, and getting in shape. Start with eating better, and watch your calorie intake. I lost a pound a week until I had dropped 30 lbs. Then start doing more working out. For the love of Pete, get away from the leg press and do squats.
Good luck on getting better. |
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Quoted:
Extremely bad flat foot on my left side and a herniated disc limit my leg exercises. Squats are problematic. But honestly, I'm sure I can do something squat-like that should work, I just need to find some guidance. I brought up the leg extension thing as it's not the bending of the knee during a leg extension that kicks the weakness in. I only have the weakness when I'm bearing weight down on it and bending it. Quoted:
Quoted:
Not sure what your issue is but Leg Extensions... don't do them. I've dropped them and have focused on big compound movements... squats and dead lifts. excerpt from a reliable source on the risks of extensions. "The leg extension applies constant ACL tension, so people with ligament injuries should avoid this exercise, particularly when heavy weights are in use. There is an increased risk of lateral patellar deviation, no hamstring activity and increased joint stress in regards to shear forces. When you perform a leg extension with heavy weight, you drastically increase the chance of sustaining a knee injury, due to the forces involved. Finally, the training benefits realized in a leg extension do not carry over into real life except for kicking movements, so this exercise is not very practical." Extremely bad flat foot on my left side and a herniated disc limit my leg exercises. Squats are problematic. But honestly, I'm sure I can do something squat-like that should work, I just need to find some guidance. I brought up the leg extension thing as it's not the bending of the knee during a leg extension that kicks the weakness in. I only have the weakness when I'm bearing weight down on it and bending it. Disc issues don't always mean you can't squat. In fact, building a stronger back/core through heavy, compound movements will protect your back...as well as the added benefit of strengthening your knees and other joints. If you're interested in getting stronger check out Asheville Strength or Crystal Coast Strength and Conditioning for help from qualified trainers. |
| My right knee was acting up occasionally in a similar fashion, OP. After close monitoring of what would aggravate it I determined that it was a result of hyperextension. For whatever reason I will cross my legs in my sleep, the right leg is always on top of the left. That slight bit of pressure on the right knee in the wrong direction over several hours at night was enough to cause my knee to give way when I put weight on it. I literally fell down a few times when I got out of bed. Now I sleep with a pillow under my legs and seldom have any issues. |
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Saw the doc for the followup to the MRI. There's a 3 mm chunk of cartilage missing on an area at the bottom of the femur and behind the kneecap. So, under flexion, when the kneecap goes over the area, it goes out of position, the leverage in the joint changes, the quadriceps muscle can't compensate, and the knee buckles. He called it quad inhibition. Not arthritis. The rest of the cartilage is great, just have a missing small chunk, probably from a very old injury that I don't recall. It may not have been that severe at first, just over time the fissure got bigger. Hard to tell. Oh, and MRI imaging is scary accurate. No real surgery, shot, medication, etc. that works in cases like mine. Strengthening the muscles may help. I'm seeing a physical therapist Monday to work out a strengthening program. Oh, and he also looked at my back. The herniated disc diagnosis I had years ago was incorrect. It just appears to be a lump of scar tissue, probably impinging on a nerve, causing pain. So, that's at least good news. Kinda sucks about the knee. Hopefully the exercises will help. Thanks for everyone's advice. |
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I have the same diagnosis in my knee. Years of weight training and football carved out a nice chunk of cartilage.
You can get cartilage plugs. Basically they take cadaver, pig or tendon from somewhere else in your body and drill small holes and put in the plugs of new cartilage. Surprised he did not mention it. You will develop pain in the area soon so plan on some cortisone shots soon. But as others have stated, loose weight (helped me a lot dropping 40lbs) and do squats. But do them right, get the butt back and drop over your heels, not your knees. Do them without weight to start. Good luck! |
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Quoted: I have the same diagnosis in my knee. Years of weight training and football carved out a nice chunk of cartilage. You can get cartilage plugs. Basically they take cadaver, pig or tendon from somewhere else in your body and drill small holes and put in the plugs of new cartilage. Surprised he did not mention it. You will develop pain in the area soon so plan on some cortisone shots soon. But as others have stated, loose weight (helped me a lot dropping 40lbs) and do squats. But do them right, get the butt back and drop over your heels, not your knees. Do them without weight to start. Good luck! He did say there was a procedure, but didn't elaborate. That may have been it. But he seemed skeptical it would help me that much for some reason, and the recovery is long. But hey, he's just one doctor. I might find another one with a different opinion on how to treat it. If the physical therapy doesn't work at all, maybe that's a route worthy of exploring. |