The clinician should be able to narrow the differential diagnosis of hip or knee pain down to two to three diagnoses after the history and physical examination.
Imaging studies should be used to confirm the diagnosis.
Conventional radiographs should usually be the initial imaging study ordered.
Many of the vital structures in the knee can be palpated easily or examined with provocative tests.
A knee effusion is often associated with internal derangement.
The clinician should suspect a torn meniscus if a patient has an effusion, joint line tenderness, and pain with hyperextension and hyperflexion.
Patients with osteoarthritis often complain of stiffness and pain with activity.
Inflammatory arthritis should be considered when a patient continues to experience pain despite resting the joint.
A detailed history is perhaps the most important step in accurately diagnosing the cause of knee pain. Knee complaints generally fall into two broad categories, pain or instability.
