Knee Tendon Tear: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

A knee joint tendon is a powerful fibrous-like band of soft tissue that helps to stabilize the knee joint. A torn knee joint tendon can seriously disrupt normal knee joint mechanics and produce a variety of symptoms. What follows is a list of the most common symptoms of a torn knee joint tendon.

Pain

• A torn knee tendon typically causes moderate to severe knee pain, depending on the extent and location of the tendon tear.

Swelling

• Most soft tissue tears, including tendon tears, produce significant swelling and irritation. A torn knee joint tendon normally produces significant knee joint swelling, with more severe tears typically producing greater amounts of swelling.

Knee Instability

• It is quite common for knee tendon tears to reduce knee stability by reducing the strength and anchoring ability of the muscles acting upon the knee joint.

Loss of Leg Strength

• A torn knee tendon commonly restricts leg muscle strength, making it difficult to both raise and lower the leg, and disrupting normal leg biomechanics.

Restricted Knee Movement

• Depending on the severity of the tear, a torn knee tendon can seriously impede normal knee joint mobility and range of motion by reducing the actions of the muscles across the knee joint.