The location of the knee pain can be useful information when trying to obtain an accurate diagnosis. Pain on the front of the knee can be caused by bursitis, arthritis, or softening of the patella cartilage as in chrondromalacia patella.
Pain on the sides of the knee is usually related to injuries to the collateral ligaments, arthritis, or tears to the meniscuses. Pain in the back of the knee can be caused by arthritis or Bakers cysts (an accumulation of synovial fluid behind the knee). Infection can be another possible cause of knee pain.
