Knee locking

I been going thru this issue since i was. 8 .. Been to the doctors so many times and they dont know whats wrong. Im 27 now and still no answers to my pain😭😭

I have a very similar issue with my knee that I would not call a locked knee but rather a cramped knee.  I have had this as long as I can remember (probably as a Kid now in my 40s).  Does not happen very often.  Until last night it only happened rarely when I would be squatting and moving around with my knees bent almost all the way and then my knee (maybe leg?) feels like it cramps up and then severe pain in my knee (maybe leg?) at which point I have always just quickly straightened my leg.  At that point I feel (maybe hear?) a pop like a tendon or ligament pops around and back into place and then immediately the pain is gone and I am fine.  Sometimes if I squat back down again it will start to do it again and I have to straighten out my leg but I can usually stop it before it happens subsequent times.  In the past I had no ill effects and I seemed to be just fine otherwise.  Yesterday it happened like usual and I fixed it like usual. I felt fine until later that night sitting on a recliner couch I slightly bent the leg and it did it again.  I straighten it out and it fixed it but hurt after a bit after (normally no pain after).  I went to bed and rolled over in bed knee slightly bent and it happened again.  This time again more pain after.  I have been very careful not to bend my leg too much since bed last night and I hasn't happened again by my knee (back side and maybe a little bit to the outside) is sore.  Limping today from the soreness and trying to limit pressure on that leg.   Until last night this has never happened unless my leg was mostly bent.  Last night it happened twice with my leg just slightly bent.  So something is different now (most likely due to the first incidence).

From what I have come across and my situation I am wondering if this is a muscle cramp that causes the knee to "lockup" or cramp.  I found a site talking about the Popliteus muscle and wonder if that is the issue?

Until yesterday this was but a minor annoyance but today it seem like it could be a major mobility issue.

I am curious to know if others have be able to just straighten out their leg to resolve the issue and if cramping seem to be at all a factor?

Does anyone have any answers?

I have had the same problem since 10 years old  and I’m now in my 40’s. I seem to go through phases of frequent locking to years of remission. Exact same symptoms as Hartley describes, caused usually by kneeling, excruciating pain when I try to straighten it and go through moving another couple of mm every now and then. 

About 5 years ago I needed to go to theatre to have it straightened. The Dr said it took two of them to do it and it went with a hell of a noise. X-rays at the time (while locked) revealed nothing and MRI some weeks later also did not shed light. The consultant said it was a mystery and that was the end of my treatment again.  

My daughter has just turned 13 and today I heard a scream to find her with her knee stuck, it quickly unlocked but I don’t want her to experience the same problems I have had 😕

I’m the same, X-ray revealed nothing, but something was obviously out of line as went back with a hell of a clunk! Mine goes through phases too, started when I was six, nothing in twenties then back in late thirties. A chiropractor said that my knee was sublaxing, partial dislocation that wouldn’t show in X-ray.  She also said that as the knee goes into spasm it is difficult to relocate unless a relaxant like gas and airbus used. I have found that manipulating the knee whether bent or straight, gently massaging it is the only way. I can’t do this myself though, my partner does it, Doctors at a and e never understand as my knee cap is still in place.

Hello! I woke up with this today. Usually I can fix it by forcing my leg to move around a little. But, just not good. Luckily my parents were over for thanksgiving and I mentioned it to my dad that I couldn't get out of bed. He had me straighten my leg as much as I could. He grabbed my foot and started moving it like I was walking and it hurt a little bit and suddenly a pop in my knee and it fixed. 

He told me pressure like you're walking will usually fix it and it's caused by dehydration. Don't know if this is the case. But, god, this sucks! Never want it to happen again

Hey guys, I know this thread is 5 years old but I just thought I’d comment my experiences with this same frustrating and beyond painful experience! 

I used to have it happen to me all the time for years in my right leg, if I ever sat down or fell over playing football and my legs crossed as I uncrossed them to stand up I’d just fall straight back down and it would feel like my knee locked out but it would always always click and feel like it locked back in! 

I had this until I stopped playing football and then hadn’t had it for a few years until randomly today, I randomly sat down at work on a chair with my leg under the other and then went to stand up and felt that same “pop” but it wouldn’t go back in, I literally froze in place and almost fainted when I tried to move, the pain was unbearable. My work eventually shifted me into a car after an hour and took me to the A&E, I literally couldn’t move my leg without intense pain.

I had x-rays and nothing was wrong so I got seen by the physio who I was expecting to pop it back in place as this is what I know needed to be done however nothing come of it even though I told him I’ve had it before and it feels like it needs to click to relieve the pain. He suggested that I need to build up strength on the inside of my quad as this is what keeps the knee caps stable and in place. Regardless; I got home with painkillers and tape on my knee and crutches and as I got home and climbed onto my bed and eventually straightened my right leg I felt a “pop” and literally was able to walk around and stand on it... I couldn’t believe that what had given me so much pain (probably the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life) has just been relieved by a single “click” 

I’m a very flexible person and my legs have never really been very strong so I believe that if you take some time to strengthen the inside of your quads it’ll really make a difference! I remember reading it elsewhere also when I used to play football! 

Hey, i know this post is from 5 years ago but i just wanted to say i have tge same problem with my right knee. Im now 19 and i have been to the doctor for it but had no luck as to find out what it is and how to fix it, but i do know that once it locks and i cant straighten it i found out a way to unlock it as i please.... It just gets annoying that it happens to me about every second of the day.

Hello I'm 32 and have had this problem since I was a kid (probably 6 or 7 the first time it happened) the pain is so much that its about unbearable but I have learned how to remedy the situation quickly. You have to have someone around and the people usually think I'm joking or something until my knee almost violently pops back into place.. I get the person to grab the back of my ankle and I lay down on my back and put no forceof my own on my leg. I have the person lift straight up on my leg higher and higher until it pips back into place. I've done this on my own and injured myself and my knee has swollen because of it. Im going to try to drink more water thanks to reading this discussion but as a helpful tip to you all with the same problem try doing what has helped me so much and you might find very good results to remedy the reoccuring problem. Cheers to good heath

Please excuse the typos. Im sure you all get what I was saying though.

Hi guys, 

So glad to finally find out I'm not the only one going thru this. When I was in grade school it happened a lot especially if been sitting cross legged on the floor. I'm now  37 and had it happen again last night for the first time since childhood! The outside of my knee "shifted" and went out of place, locking my knee in bent position. But my kneecap was still in the correct place., so it wasn't a dislocation of the patella.

The excruciating pain accompanied by the flashback into childhood memories of this occurring was beyond scary and I was home by myself with 2 young children. I couldn't bring myself to bear the blinding pain of trying to quickly snap it back into place by straightening so I tried massaging the back of the knee area. I bent the knee even further and tried to use my hands to massage hard on the outside area and shift it back. Hour later it finally slid back into place. It always seemed to be a ligament problem. 

But I found two articles that might help yall that seems to explain the EXACT same situation we all are experiencing!! 

http://kneelock.com/?p=16

(this one seemed to relate to me more!)

https://www.regenexx.com/knee-locking-up[/b]/

I hope this helps anyone and everyone!