Posterior knee pain refers to pain located behind your kneecap (popliteal). Knee pain more commonly presents itself in the anterior, medial, and lateral aspect of your knee and less often in the posterior aspect of your knee.

Where is the posterior of the knee?

The popliteal fossa (sometimes referred to colloquially as the knee pit, or poplit) is a shallow depression located at the back of the knee joint. The bones of the popliteal fossa are the femur and the tibia.

What is posterior knee pain?

When a person experiences pain in the back of their knee when straightening their leg, it is called posterior knee pain. Pain in the back of the knee, called the popliteal fossa, is common, but there is a wide range of causes, ranging from ligament injury to arthritis.

Which side of knee is posterior?

Structures on the medial side usually have medial as part of their name, such as the medial meniscus. The term anterior refers to the front of the knee, while the term posterior refers to the back of the knee. So the anterior cruciate ligament is in front of the posterior cruciate ligament.

What is behind your knee called?

The shallow depression formed at the back of the knee is called the popliteal fossa; it is formed at the junction of the femur and tibia. There is a muscle here on the floor of the popliteal fossa which is the deepest muscle of the knee joint.

What helps posterior knee pain?

  1. Rest the knee until it heals.
  2. Hold ice on it for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day.
  3. Wear a compression bandage to support the knee, but make sure it’s not too tight.
  4. Elevate the injured knee on a pillow or several pillows.
  5. Use crutches or a cane to take weight off the knee.

Can arthritis cause posterior knee pain?

Some of the most common causes of pain behind the knee (posterior knee pain) include, Baker’s cyst, arthritis, infection, injury, tumor, or deep vein thrombosis. Since the knee is the largest and most complex joint in the body, it makes sense that it might hurt sometimes.

Do PCL tears heal on their own?

PCL injuries are usually partial ligament tears, and typically heal on their own, without causing stability issues, so long as the knee is protected during healing, and there are no other knee joint injuries. However, PCL injuries can lead to osteoarthritis of the knee.

How can I strengthen my posterior knee?

Lift the lower part of your affected leg until your leg is straight. Keep the back of your knee on the foam roll or towel. Hold your leg straight for about 6 seconds, then slowly bend your knee and lower your heel back to the floor. Rest for up to 10 seconds between repetitions.

What causes pain in the posterior?

Common causes of posterior hip pain include referred pain from the lumbar spine, SI joint dysfunction, hip extensor or rotator muscle strain, proximal hamstring rupture, and piriformis syndrome.

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Why does the back of my knee hurt when I straighten my leg?

The back of the knee may hurt when a person straightens their leg because of a variety of issues, including blood clots, muscle or tendon injuries, arthritis, or cysts. Physical therapy, rest, and pain medications are common treatments for many of these causes, but sometimes a person will need surgery treat the issue.

Can sciatica cause posterior knee pain?

Knee pain may be a symptom of sciatica A warm sensation, sharp pain, or dull ache in the front, side, and/or back of the knee.

What does PCL pain feel like?

People who have injured the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) of the knee often report a combination of the following symptoms: Sharp or dull pain around the back of the knee. This can occur immediately or develop in the hours or days after the injury. Swelling.

What causes nerve pain behind knee?

Traumatic injuries can lead to pressure on the nerve from inside your knee. Common causes of a pinched nerve in your knee include: Crossing your legs. Compression by the opposite knee while you cross your legs is the most common cause.

What does it mean when the back of your leg hurts behind the knee NHS?

A Baker’s cyst, also called a popliteal cyst, is a fluid-filled swelling that develops at the back of the knee. Credit: It’s caused when the tissue behind the knee joint becomes swollen and inflamed.

How do I know if my knee pain is serious?

  1. Can’t bear weight on your knee or feel as if your knee is unstable or gives out.
  2. Have marked knee swelling.
  3. Are unable to fully extend or flex your knee.
  4. See an obvious deformity in your leg or knee.
  5. Have a fever, in addition to redness, pain and swelling in your knee.

What are the 2 tendons behind the knee?

While ligaments (like the ACL and PCL) connect one bone to another, tendons connect muscles to bones. In the knee, the quadriceps tendon joins the thigh to the kneecap (patella) while the patellar tendon joins the kneecap to the tibia (shinbone).

What stabilizes the knee on the posterior side?

The muscles surrounding the knee function to both move and stabilize the joint. The two main muscle groups are the quadriceps on the anterior side of the knee and femur, and the hamstrings on the posterior side.

Is walking good for bad knees?

Walking. Walking is a low-impact activity that doesn’t put too much stress on your knees and can help strengthen the muscles in that area.

Can you run with a PCL tear?

You should return in moderation, and back off if you feel any pain. A typical surgery patient may be able to ride a bike at three months, start running at five to seven months, and return to competitive sports after eight to 12 months. Full recovery may take up to two years.

How do I know if I tore my PCL?

  1. Pain. Mild to moderate pain in the knee can cause a slight limp or difficulty walking.
  2. Swelling. Knee swelling occurs rapidly, within hours of the injury.
  3. Instability. Your knee might feel loose, as if it’s going to give way.

Is a PCL tear serious?

A PCL injury can cause mild, moderate or severe damage.

How long is recovery for PCL?

Expected recovery usually occurs in about three months at which time swelling may be resolved and strength recovered. A full return to active sports is usually possible. If PCL reconstruction is needed, full recovery may take 9-12 months.

Why is the back of my knee puffy?

Swelling on the back of one knee may be a Baker’s cyst. A Baker’s cyst can form when joint-lubricating fluid fills a cushioning pouch (bursa) at the back of your knee. A Baker’s cyst is a fluid-filled cyst that causes a bulge and a feeling of tightness behind your knee.

Is kidney pain felt in front or back?

Unlike back pain, which usually occurs in the lower back, kidney pain is deeper and higher up the back. The kidneys can be found underneath the ribcage, on each side of the spine. Pain from the kidneys is felt in the sides, or in the middle to upper back (most often under the ribs, to the right or left of the spine).

Can blood clots form behind the knee?

Popliteal vein thrombosis happens when a blood clot blocks one of the blood vessels behind your knees. It’s a serious condition, but it can sometimes be mistaken for a less-dangerous condition called a Baker’s cyst.

Is back pain and knee pain related?

Back pain can be related to knee pain simply based on the phenomenon of referred pain. The nerves to the lower extremities branch directly off the lower spine. So it’s easy to see how a pinched nerve, perhaps due to a bulging lumbar disc in the lower back, could direct pain down that nerve branch and into the knee.

Can a pinched nerve in back cause knee pain?

If your spine has a pinched nerve or a bulging lumbar disc, the lower back where the nerve branch is located can redirect the pain to the knees.

Can tight hamstrings cause posterior knee pain?

Hamstrings, gastrocnemius, and popliteus tendon typically cause posterior knee pain. The hamstrings are frequently injured in sports that require sprinting.

How do you know if you tore something behind your knee?

Swelling or stiffness. Pain, especially when twisting or rotating your knee. Difficulty straightening your knee fully. Feeling as though your knee is locked in place when you try to move it.

Which is worse ACL or PCL tear?

Although it is larger and stronger than the ACL, the PCL can be torn. PCL tears make up less than 20% of injuries to knee ligaments. Injuries that tear the PCL often damage some of the other ligaments or cartilage in the knee, as well. In some cases, the ligament can also break loose a piece of underlying bone.