Common Causes of Your Knee Giving Way The conditions which are found to have a causative relationship with Knee Buckling include Ligament Tears, Meniscal Tear, Femoral Nerve Damage, Plica Syndrome, Knee arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, and Patella Dislocation.
If left untreated, knee-buckling can cause serious harm to you and your loved ones, along with possible long-term damage in many areas of your body.
Common causes of knee buckling
There are several culprits when it comes to knee buckling, including ligament and meniscus tears, arthritis, nerve damage, and plica syndrome.
A feeling of sudden leg weakness, causing your legs to give out or buckle can be alarming. Weakness in your leg(s) may occur from problems in the nerves and/or muscles in your lower body and is usually treatable. Rarely, the underlying cause may be a serious medical condition requiring immediate medical attention.
Possible causes include stroke, systemic diseases, inflammatory conditions, nerve damage, muscle disorders, and medication side effects. It is important to seek medical attention to determine the underlying cause and receive appropriate treatment.
While there are more than 80 forms of arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are both known to cause knee buckling in patients. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition that creates a breakdown in joint cartilage, leading to increased joint friction in the process.
Sometimes your knee gives way because of a lack of strength in this muscle – also called an insufficiency. There can be numerous reasons for this muscle being weak: Pain inhibition (if your knee is very sore, your brain can switch of the quadriceps muscle) Weakness post-surgery – ACL or TKR, or meniscus repairs.
Many people notice a “weak in the knees” feeling when they are nervous or afraid. The intensity and frequency of the anxiety weak legs symptoms are often proportional to the degree of nervousness, anxiety, and fear. This is one of the reasons why weak legs are common symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks.
By doing exercises to strengthen your quads, you're helping these muscles support your knee. The more support it has, the less likely it is to buckle. These exercises can also help to manage the symptoms of your osteoarthritis, as well.
A knee brace can take pressure off the part of your joint most affected by osteoarthritis and help relieve pain. If your knee feels like it might buckle when you put weight on it, a knee brace can also help you stand and move around with more confidence.
Knee pain may be a symptom of sciatica
Common knee symptoms that you may experience when you have sciatica include: A warm sensation, sharp pain, or dull ache in the front, side, and/or back of the knee. Inability to bear weight on the knee. Buckling/giving out of the knee.
Sometimes this discomfort can feel like a shooting, burning, or radiating pain. You might also feel numbness or tingling. Tightness or cramping of the hamstring in the back of your thigh or glute. Weakness of the knee, including feelings of the knee buckling or giving out.
A knee joint affected by arthritis may be painful and inflamed. Generally, the pain develops gradually over time, although sudden onset is also possible. There are other symptoms, as well: The joint may become stiff and swollen, making it difficult to bend and straighten the knee.
If your orthopedic knee specialist determines knee instability surgery is necessary for your issue, it may involve the ligament, bone, or both. A typical timeline for recovery is 6 to 10 weeks on crutches with full recovery taking 3 to 6 months.
It can result from a range of causes – most often a ligament injury. Our orthopedic specialists can usually treat an unstable knee with nonsurgical solutions like physical therapy and medication. If knee surgery does become necessary, we offer the most advanced, minimally invasive surgical options available today.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis that affects the knee. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative process where the cartilage in the joint gradually wears away. It often affects middle-age and older people. Osteoarthritis may be caused by excess stress on the joint such as repeated injury or being overweight.
Knee osteoarthritis (OA), also known as degenerative joint disease of the knee, is typically the result of wear and tear and progressive loss of articular cartilage. It is most common in the elderly. Knee osteoarthritis can be divided into two types, primary and secondary.
Problems with the joints, (such as arthritis), bones (such as deformities), circulation (such as peripheral vascular disease), or even pain can make it difficult to walk properly. Diseases or injuries to the nerves, muscles, brain, spinal cord, or inner ear can affect normal walking.
The weakness can make your legs feel heavy, as if they are being weighed down by something. They may also ache and hurt. Some people with MS describe it as like having bags of sand attached to their legs. This muscle weakness combined with MS fatigue can be upsetting.