Crying uncle on a knee problem...YES I'VE USED THE SEARCH

[Stevo]

Been holding off on writing hoping to sweet baby Jesus this would go away but it ain't. I extend my left knee, it talks to me. I flex it anywhere less than 90 degrees, it's talks to me. Seems like a patella tendon thing. What to do cuz it's real fucking depressing not to be able to squat. I'm on the verge of taking time off but not sure. Help me Obi-Rip Squatobi!

[Mark Rippetoe]

Sounds like chondromalacia. Get it looked at.

[Dastardly]

I think I have chondromalacia too.

I had an acute injury nearly a year ago where something snapped in the knee. After it calmed down I started squatting and doing a few rehab exercises to strengthen it up. It felt loads better with regular squatting.

But I still have roughness/clicking with a deeply bent knee, and a dull soreness when using that deep range of motion.

When I eventually got an MRI scan I was told tears had healed. But that apparently that I have a non-acute condition of shallow trochlear grooves and thin cartilage causing chondromalacia.

But the fact remained I had felt no knee pain, roughness or discomfort ever in my knee until I had the ligament tear back in march last year. I kept insisting to the doctor that I still felt there was a problem in my knee from the acute injury, but he disagreed saying I simply have this non-serious chronic condition that I must have had for my whole life but never noticed.

To add to the confusion here. During the past 3 months of squatting I have begun to feel some stiffness and instability in my left (non-injury) knee too! This especially the case during this january when I have tightened up my squat form to proper starting strength standards (knees being set properly by being pushed out in first part of descent)

So now, I am experiencing regular stiffness and instability in both knees. If I sit with my leg a bit twisted it feels like my knee is destroyed when standing up again.

This makes me think I am suffering from TWO knee conditions. Both the remnants of an acute ligament injury in my right knee and chondromalacia from regular squatting with progressive loading.

I have been rather ignoring this however, as I have been so focused on trying to progress with squats, Especially since I switched to starting strength this year.

I am keen to continue and can easily put up with this pain & stiff, unstable knees. My knees as ever, feel much better after any activity like squatting.

I dont really know what I am getting at here. I guess I am wondering if you think that squatting is destroying my knees? Or are they just adapting the the tension of new stronger muscles and such? I have never experienced a feeling of instability in my knees ever in my life before this, despite doing a lot of skateboarding and soccer at school.

I asked the doctor if I should be taking any specific care or precaution with exercise and activity. He said all exercise would be great and beneficial. Just be careful not to apply rotational stress.

I am however sceptical of this doctor due to his inability to find a cause for me very blatant knee clicking/roughness which was caused by acute injury.

[mlentzner]

I supposedly have this in my left knee as well. Docs always just prescribe NSAIDs - thanks, I could have figured that out myself!

What are the other treatment options?

Regards,

Matt

[Mark Rippetoe]

All the diagnosed cases of chondromalacia I have seen resolved themselves with squats. If the exercise destroyed your knees, we'd know about it by now, don't you think? Your sub-patellar cartilage adapts to training too. I have always thought that since it is constantly remodeling, and rough spots would be short-lived anyway.

[coreJack]

Your sub-patellar cartilage adapts to training too. I have always thought that since it is constantly remodeling, and rough spots would be short-lived anyway.

Makes sense to me. The body can regenerate bone, why not cartilage. The key is making sure one isn't constantly wearing the thin spots, otherwise any regenerated cartilage is just being roughened up or scraped off.

[twoheadedboy]

My left patellar tendon bothered me for years. I have always had super-tight hamstrings and I gained 60 lbs (fat) on top of it. Combine that with a low-slide bowling form and well my knee was in pretty bad shape.

I've been pain free since I started progressing in squats, though part of it is the weight loss I'm sure. However, I lost a bunch of weight once before and the knee still hurt.

Make sure you are taking a multi-vitamin, glucosamine, and omega-3 product every day. I'm not a company rep but I really like the trio of Animal Pak-Flex-Omega after having tried many things. There are plenty of good products out there, however. If you're not taking glucosamine especially right now, allow 2 months of daily intake to see results but the results will come. Heavy weight trainers may also want to throw Cissus into the mix, as well.

[Stevo]

UPDATE: ortho guy said, lateral cartilage tear. The best part, either give it 3 to 6 MONTHS to heal, meaning no heavy squatting & 600mg a day of Advil, or have this done to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYIzlUDz6Nc. Fucking sucks!

I asked him if, in a roundabout way, he knew what he was doing. His reply? "I have 120 patients this week!" So either this place is a chop shop or he's got a major boat payment.