Why do my knees click sometimes?

Why do my knees click when I walk or everytime I stand up from sitting?

• Here are some other things that my knees are doing. Catching or locking of your knee The sensation of your knee "giving way" I did play a lot of sports in high school. I really don't have pain but I do every now and then.

• Answer:

  Locking can either be due to something actually blocking motion of the knee, or by pain preventing normal knee motion. These two causes must be differentiated, as something physically caught in the joint should be evaluated in a timely manner. Often injecting the knee with numbing medication can help determine the cause of locking. http://orthopedics.about.com/od/hipknee/a/kneesymptoms.htm There are many possible causes for a clicking knee, some of which are potentially serious and troubling, and others which really aren’t a serious problem. To decide which camp your knee difficulties fall into you need to look at the other symptoms that occur along with your clicking and to see if it responds to some gentle treatment of your own. If it sounds more like a pop, then there may be nothing to worry about. Popping and snapping within the knee is quite common, and often not a symptom of any particular problem. When the pops or snaps are painless, there is usually no problem--the bigger concern is when these sounds are associated with pain. A pop is often heard or felt when a ligament, such as the ACL, is torn. If the noise is more of a crunching or scraping noise then this might be the result of your bones grinding against each other. If this is the case then you should be concerned and see a doctor as it can otherwise cause erosion and lead to arthritis. http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/13196/1/Clicking-in-the-Knee.html http://orthopedics.about.com/od/hipknee/a/kneesymptoms.htm http://www.doctorslounge.com/orthopedics/forums/backup/topic-4158.html The sensation of the knee giving out is usually because of a ligament injury. Check here. http://orthopedics.about.com/od/hipknee/g/instability.htm