Case of the Month #15: Chronic Knee Pain by Dr Kerry Bosworth

Published: 05/05/2022

Differential Diagnosis

Differential diagnoses

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Inflammatory arthritides including for example gout, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis
  • Referred pain from hip or back 
  • Trauma

On further questioning, she denied any history of trauma, joint swelling or morning stiffness. Although she described other general aches and pains, she did not feel any other joints were affected.

On examination, she had an antalgic gait. There was no swelling of her knees. She had a decreased range of movement bilaterally and crepitus was elicited. Examination of her hips and back were unremarkable.
As the most likely diagnosis was osteoarthritis, no further investigations were performed.