Knee crepitus

It’s definitely one of the more eye-opening orthopaedic diagnoses. It’s also a very real and irritating condition for those who experience it.

So what is patellar clunk syndrome – and what can you do about it? Jim Newman explains.

 

What is patellar clunk syndrome?

Rarely has a medical condition been so vividly named. And as its title suggests, the condition affects the patella (kneecap) and feels like a clunk, almost like a car slipping into gear after a bit of struggle.

Home remedies for cracking sound in knees

In some cases the clunk is audible.

 

What causes patellar clunk syndrome (PCS)?

PCS affects people who have had a specific type of knee replacement featuring a posterior stabilized implant. When flexing or straightening the leg, a knot of fibrous scar tissue on the under-surface of the quadriceps tendon (just above where the tendon attaches to the patella) catches in the box of the implant.

As the knot of tissue catches and then slips free, patients experience the notable clunk.

    >  Discover more about the patella (kneecap

clicking sound in knee when walking down stairs

clicking sound in knee when walking up stairs