You have indicated that you have an outer back of knee injury

Below are some specific descriptions of symptoms related to a running outer back of knee injury or outer back of knee pain.

Decide which description most closely matches the outer back of knee problem you are experiencing then click on
the button next to it. You will be presented with a likely diagnosis for your outer back of knee injury and advice as to
what to do.

You can diagnose other running injuries here.

  • Step 1
  • Step 2
  • Step 3 - current step
  • Step 4

Click on the description that most closely matches your symptoms:

Symptom 1

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  • Difficulty in straightening your knee fully.
  • Pain, tightness and stiffness in the back of the knee.
  • The back of the knee may feel like it ‘blocks up’ when you bend your knee fully, such as when doing deep squats.

Symptom 2

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  • Pain and tenderness on the inside or the outside of the back of the knee, depending on which tendon is affected.
  • If you sit and press your heel into the ground you will feel the tendons on both sides of the back of the knee become easy to feel. A hamstring tendinopathy occurs at or near the end of one of these tendons where they insert onto the bone of the back of the knee, so this is where you will feel tenderness.
  • Swelling may be present over the tendon.
  • Pain when you try to bend the knee against resistance (i.e. digging your heel into the floor).
  • Stiffness after running.
  • Pain is often there at the beginning of a run, but then subsides only to reoccur later, and then continue for a while after exercise.

Symptom 3

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  • Pain on the outer surface or the back of the shin, about 2 inches below the knee joint.
  • The bony prominence in this area on the outside of the knee (the head of the fibula bone) may be more obvious on the affected leg, compared with the other side.
  • Movement of the ankle may increase the pain.
  • Running is painful, although it may improve the longer you run, only to return at the end.
  • It often feels like it needs to be stretched, but is difficult to do.

Symptom 4

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  • Deep aching pain in the knee, especially with movement.
  • Knee may be swollen.
  • Stiffness in the knee, particularly in the morning, which decreases as you start to move around and warm up.
  • You may have pain at night.
  • A crunching or grinding sound as you bend your knees whilst standing.
  • Symptoms develop slowly over time.
  • The knee does not show a full range of movement, either with bending or straightening, and may be painful at the end of range of the movements.
  • You may have noticed that you are starting to limp, and favour the other leg.
  • The affected knee may be larger than the other (regardless of any swelling).