Knee locking

Hey Hartley, I've had the same problem, I'm 16 and when I cross my legs every now and then I experience horrible pain as my knee locks up on my right leg, I use my arm to pull my leg further and further out to stretch my leg slowly until I hear a click and the pain is completely gone, still trying to find out what is wrong with me tho, hope after the years you may have found a reason?

I had a calf injury and baker's cyst about 2 years ago with no prior knee issues and ever since, I get exactly the same locking issue as you described. After countless doctor visits, xrays and mri's which all apparently show that I'm imagining the extreme pain, I did finally find one trick that helps. I read on another knee pain board that when it locks, try pulling your heel on your injured leg to your butt (as close as you can). It magically releases the locked tendon (or whatever it is). No doctor has been able to tell me how NOT to get it locked. Mine occurs most often when I am rising from a seated position --- and I think turning my toes outward helps. I also sleep with a brace on at night in order to minimize it locking in my sleep. Good luck!

Hi Hartley

As others have said it was helpful for me to find others with the same problem.  Some people have slightly different experiences but I am sure that it is a common cause.  My occurances are always the result of some twisting or side pressure on the knee.  Never any problems when I walk normally and keep my legs fairly straight.

I had my first issues when I was about 40 years old.  I am now 69 and I would say that it has gotten steadily worst based on how little it takes to cause the lock up compared to 20 years ago.  I was planning on finally going to a doctor but this information makes me thinks twice.

Paul

 

Just an update on my previous post. I went to see a Orthopedic surgeon who specialises in Knee injury. He gave me a physical exam, looked at my old MRI, sent me for xrays and for another MRI. He said that he thought my cartilage was torn (which had been proven not the case in my last MRI). He said that I couldn't continue to live my life like this and if nothing showed on my scan he would operate and basically have a look to see if he could find a cause. 

I went back two weeks later to get my results and he went through my MRI scan with me. Everything was normal except my Popliteal tendon appeared to be slightly irritated (It appeared white on the screen).

I then asked him what the next steps would be: He said nothing. He then promised me around 6 times that my knee would NEVER lock again!!!

I was shocked. He hadn't given me a diagnosis, he had no idea what was causing it and had not given me any treatment at all. Yet promised it would never happen again.

That was two months ago and my knee locked yesterday morning. So I phoned and made an appointment for Friday. I will see him again and see what he has to say for himself. 

My knee has locked on a yearly basis since I was 9 years only (I'm almost 20 now). But my knees has locked 3 times this year alone. 

It seems to be any twisting or sideways movement which causes it. Hopefully we can find a cause and solution.

I will post again after I have seen him on Friday.

I have finally figure out what the problem is!!!! After 11 years

I went for an explorative knee arthscopy yesterday to find the cauae of the locking. 

My surgeon found that my cartilage was dislocating. Basically I have a large gap behind my knee cap and when I move my leg a certain way it creates as sort of vaccume which sucks my cartilage out of place. 

My surgeon stiched either end of my lateral cartilage into place to prevent this from happening. Nothing showed up on both my MRI so this can only be discovered surgically. 

Thought I should let you all know so hopefully you can get a fix/cure. 

Hello Hartley, I'm Mackenzie. i'm fourteen and i experience the same thing once a month in both knees (it changes depending on what side i've slept on.) All of the years i was a young child i did intense cheerleading and dance. doctors and bone professionals urged me stop or slow down but i didn't want to because i loved it. so i continued to do that until a few years ago. the knee thing started happening about 6 months ago. it's the same pain you described. when i first wake up from the pain, i'm still a bit confused by what's hurting so i move it a little and then this pain shoots up my entire leg and i lay there in a paralyzed way until i work up courage to move again. this usually takes 5 minutes because i get tired of waiting so i'll put my hand on my knee and massage it a bit, press down with as much pressure as i can and slowly bend it up using support from my other hand. to get to a position where this is possible i have to straighten my leg my using my bed and press backwards until i'm straight. after i do all that i'm fine, a little stiff, but fine. in conclusion, the pain is excruciating and i'm not sure if i should go to a doctor or not because they haven't seemed to do anything about it and if anything they'll probably give me some tylonol and wish me good luck. anyways, i just wanted you to know that other people do have this and i think it's from previous injury and it's your body's way of getting you back lol. alright thanks xo

Hi, I get this too.  I'm 42 and recently had a total hip replacement and it's been worse since, maybe because I was walking with a limp for a while and it's made it worse.

Had this since my teens on and off occasionally and it would sometimes happen when walking but it's now only in my sleep when I sleep on my right side my left kneecap "pops off".

I am hypermobile and have "floating kneecaps".  Dreading this being arthritis as already had a shoulder joint removed and the hip done.

I want to get it looked at as it's almost every other night now and I've just started exercising at the gym and don't know if if that's why it's worse but I just want some time away from anything medical after three ops in four years.

It's horrendous pain though isn't it.  No one who doesn't experience it can really understand. X X X  

Hi Hartley,

I'm 12 and today this has happened to me, this is the second time in 3 weeks. The first time it happened in front of my parents and I was in terrible pain (although they thought that I was faking because we were going somewhere that I hated) but I dismissed it as just a random thing.

It happened today when I was getting out of the pool, I put my bent leg onto the side and it felt like something moved out of place. After about 3-4 minutes of sitting there, I turned to face the water and pushed off to dive, straightening my legs. I felt immediate relief and quickly got out of the pool to carry on.

Tonight I want to tell my parents about it after reading this forum, but I'm not sure that they would believe me because of no physical signs.

Any tips for getting parents/ doctors to believe you?

Has anyone figured out what is wrong?  I am going to the doctor Monday!