[Drew16]

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hoterdoc,

I know exactly where the patella is. Maybe the OP doesn't understand what is exactly going on. The action that happens when you extend and flex your leg is called the "Screw Home Movement" and this is where in the last few degrees of extension, the small degree of rotation that occurs between the tibia and femur that "locks" the knee joint in place are rotationally screwed together (screwed home). When beginning flexion from full extension, the knee joint "unscrews" and the rotation is reversed.

Your patella ALWAYS essentially locks and unlocks itself. The only part of the knee that locks from injury is the meniscus. When you tear your cruciate or your collateral ligaments the exact opposite of "locking" happens, your leg is loose because those ligaments are there for stability in internal/external rotation, flexion, and extension--w/o one of these ligaments all of the sudden your leg hasn't any stability.

Everything he said adds up to a bucket handle tear.

1) His knee locks up
2) Bucket handle tears are the most common tears in the knee that are overlooked and the patient is sent home
3) It hurts when his knee locks up, not during daily living.

He also said it happens when his knee is in a semi-bent position, this is exactly when the meniscus rolls up and gets trapped in the intercondylar notch.

Please understand that everything he has said in this thread makes it seem that it is almost certainly what I said it is.

[/ QUOTE ]

this sounds exactly right. The first time did happen when I was young and wearing cleats. I grew up playing baseball and soccer.

Is this something worth seeing a specialist over if they are hard to detect, and no particular cure?