Is this a symptom of runners knee?

[Harefield]

If I crouch or try to kneel and rest my bum on my legs, it feels as though I’m bending my knee so tightly that my thigh is going lower than my calf and whatever is inside my knee is going to snap. My thigh is nowhere near my calf but the pain is quite bad. Does anybody else get this as a symptom of runners knee? I’ve just spoken to physio on the phone who has said it sounds as though I have runners knee and told me to google it for some more info along with giving me some exercises, but I can’t see that symptom mentioned anywhere. I have cracking, crunching sensations and pain under my kneecap if I walk for longer than a few minutes or try to exercise, which do seem to be classic symptoms. The phone call was a bit awkward and I’m not sure I explained myself very well.

Anyone?

Ok so as I understand it, Runners knee is pain in the ligament just below the knee cap-is this where your pain is? Cracking and crunching can be due to tightness in the thigh muscle compressing the kneecap onto the knee joint and this can be relieved with some good exercises. Was your pain started by a suddenly change in activity?

Hi, thanks for the reply. Yes, I feel a pain just underneath my kneecap when walking and moving around. It generally hurts at times when I’m lounging around as though the angle is wrong and putting pressure on my knee. It cracks and crunches when I do large movements, though this has lessened lately and is not always painful. The worst thing is the very tight, overstretched feeling when I bend my knee. I have to immediately stop because it feels as though something is about to snap.

I did nothing different in the run up to this - was just walking up the stairs during the first lockdown and my knee crunched and gave way. That was when it hurt the most. It was quite weak for a while afterwards and felt like it was bending backwards and wobbling, with a couple more incidents of giving way but not as bad as the first time. The weak, wobbly feeling has gone now. I’m pretty inactive and have never injured my knee so I don’t know why it’s happened! I thought it would be better by now but it’s been almost a year and I still can’t walk very far without pain.

You might have torn your meniscus. I (self-diagnosed, tbf) think this is what I did a few years ago. Same symptoms you're describing. It'd get better after some rest/careful movement but then reoccur. I had some physio which has helped me manage it. I'm conscious of my knee all the time, will never really crouch as the knee feels it will still snap but it has stopped hurting.

Some stuff here

You need to see your GP, particularly if it swells as well.
In the meantime, use RICE.

There is no swelling and my gp told me to self refer for physio, which is who my appointment was with. I’m just aware that being diagnosed over the phone with me feeling my knee while I bend it and explain it to the therapist isn’t the best way to diagnose an issue! I didn’t really know what I was doing.

Just be aware that I got an initial set of exercises (sent by a non-medical professional) in response the word knee.
A month later, a review on the phone by a physio who gave me new exercises.
Another month in (again a telephone call) I was offered either a steroid injection or an MRI. Obviously, I took the MRI.
Four days before it was due, I got a letter to say all physio appointments were cancelled.
I called and enquired and my MRI went ahead and I managed to get the results.
Here, NHS physio is now on a shoestring (for cancer patients and similar). All other appointments / referrals are now not going ahead as any staff that can be have been recalled to work in our local hospital.