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Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

A number of factors can increase your risk of having knee problems, including:

  • Age. Certain types of knee problems are more common in young people — Osgood-Schlatter disease and patellar tendinitis, for example. Others, such as osteoarthritis, gout and pseudogout, tend to affect older adults.
  • Sex. Teenage girls are more likely than are boys to experience an ACL tear or a dislocated kneecap. Boys, on the other hand, are at greater risk of Osgood-Schlatter disease and patellar tendinitis than girls are.
  • Excess weight. Being overweight or obese increases stress on your knee joints, even during ordinary activities such as walking or going up and down stairs. It also puts you at increased risk of osteoarthritis by accelerating the breakdown of joint cartilage.
  • Mechanical problems. Certain structural abnormalities, such as having one leg shorter than the other, misaligned knees and even flat feet, can make you more prone to knee problems.
  • Lack of muscle flexibility or strength. A lack of strength and flexibility are among the leading causes of knee injuries. Tight or weak muscles offer less support for your knee because they don't absorb enough of the stress exerted on the joint.
  • Certain sports. Some sports put greater stress on your knees than do others. Alpine skiing with its sharp twists and turns and potential for falls, basketball's jumps and pivots, and the repeated pounding your knees take when you run or jog all increase your risk of knee injury.
  • Previous injury. Having a previous knee injury makes it more likely that you'll injure your knee again.
Complications Causes
References
  1. Questions and answers about knee problems. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Knee_Problems/default.asp. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  2. Huddleston JI, et al. Hip and knee pain. In: Firestein GS, et al. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: W.B. Saunders Co.; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/211216621-3/1029261530/1807/290.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3285-4..10042-7--s0010_1200. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  3. Anderson RJ, et al. Evaluation of the adult patient with knee pain. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  4. Common knee injuries. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://www.orthoinfo.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00325. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  5. Zeller JL, et al. JAMA patient page: Knee pain. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2007;297:1740.
  6. Pallin DJ, et al. Knee injuries. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00054-2--s0150&displayedEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00054-2--s0460&uniq=211216621&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&sid=1029279549. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  7. Pseudogout. American College of Rheumatology. http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/diseases_and_conditions/pseudogout. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  8. Pallin DJ, et al. Diagnostic strategies. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00054-2--s0150&displayedEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00054-2--s0470&uniq=211216621&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&sid=1029395050#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00054-2--s0100%3Bfrom%3Dtoc%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-0-323-05472-0. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  9. Care of the aging or post-traumatic knee. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00344. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  10. Knee bracing: What works? American Academy of Family Physicians. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/physical/injuries/490.html. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  11. Roberts WN. Intraarticular and soft tissue injections: What agents to inject and how frequently? http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  12. LeBlanc KE, et al. Musculoskeletal disorders. Primary Care Clinical Office Practice. 2010;37:389.
  13. Knee implants. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00221. Accessed July 23, 2010.
  14. Anderson BC. Patient information: Knee pain. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 26, 2010.
  15. Acupuncture for pain. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/acupuncture-for-pain.htm. Accessed July 26, 2010.
  16. Laskowski ER (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 26, 2010.
DS00555 Sept. 9, 2010

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