By Vic Goradia, MD
Knee, Shoulder & Sports
Medicine Specialist
Go Orthopedics
GoOrtho.net

Question: My son is a receiver on his high school football team. In that position, he is often jumping to make a catch or changing directions quickly as he runs routes or to avoid other players. At the end of last season, he complained of knee pain and stiffness, which he said occurred right around the kneecap. The pain went away during the off-season. With another football season around the corner, I am wondering how we can tell if this is a bigger problem and what we should be looking for as the season progresses to prevent a serious injury.

Answer: Knee pain and stiffness are two symptoms that are very common with a variety of knee conditions.

Relatively mild conditions could be tendonitis of the patellar or quadriceps tendon. This is common with “stop and go” sports such as soccer as well as jumping sports such as basketball. In his position as receiver there is also a lot of “stop and go,” so he would be at risk for developing an overuse condition like tendonitis.

This condition typically does not cause fluid on the knee, catching, locking or giving-way. It will usually resolve with ice, stretching, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications and sometimes a patellar tendon strap/brace.

If this does not help then you should take him to see a sports medicine specialist.

The best treatment, however, is prevention, which he can try to do with adequate stretching and strengthening exercises throughout the season.

More serious conditions are cartilage, meniscus and ligament tears. These conditions typically cause other symptoms such as fluid on the knee, catching, locking and giving-way. If he is experiencing any of these then you should take him to an orthopedic knee specialist.