Ouchie....help...plz?!

Ouchie....help...plz?

when i bend my knee straight it makes a weird noise like a plastic wrapper thats being crumbled up. I have had problems with my knee before. i have had this noise fir about a year. I have fallen of a horse and twisted it on a slip n slide and just normal injuries. im only 14 and its so hard to do anything pyhsical. My mother and grandmother also have problems with there knee. I dont know what this sound is and either does anyone else in my house and it hurts when i bend my knee...also i have been to physical therapy, and they say its fine basically, but the never hear the noise. what do i do and what is the noise ??? the noise is on my right side near the top of the knee

2 weeks ago
i have had an MRI and i heat and ice all the time and i wrap it up and evalate it

In about 90% of cases, joint noise is harmless and painless. Joint noise can be caused by a number of different things including tears in cartilage (sounds like you've ruled that out), scar tissue, a rough spot on a tendon rubbing over a boney prominence, etc. You say it hurts when you bend your knee, but did not say if you always have joint noise when you bend it. If not, I would say do not worry about the noise unless it is painful.

Yet, it does sound like you've had a problem with pain in the past...at your age and description of pain location, it is most likely patellofemoral syndrome which could certainly be a cause of joint noise. This is a syndrome where the knee cap does not track properly and is especially prominent in growing females as their body's muscular system cannot keep up with the changes that occur during puberty...the change of the angle of the hips can be especially hard on the knees.

You did not say if the PT was helping or not, but I would feel fairly confident that if you keep up with the exercises that you will "grow out" of this. I wouldn't worry too much about joint noise (especially if you've had an MRI to rule out serious pathology)...but talk to your PT about your prognosis.