Knee injury. Crunchy & cratered. No pain w/ walking or stairs. Pain w/ kneeling, some touch. Should I see doc? In 1/06 I slipped on ice & landed on my knee. It was a good 10 minutes before I could get out of the awkward position I landed in. My knee bruised badly & swelled. Ice & ibuprofen helped. Two weeks later it was better & I walked the 1/2-marathon I’d been training for since 8/05. No real problems since then. No pain walking or going up or down stairs. But kneeling, even on a soft surface like a bed mattress, huts. Harder surface=more pain. It also hurts to touch in certain areas. The top/front has a sort of crater-like depression where the other knee is smooth & convex. It also feels a bit “crunchy.” I never bothered seeing a doctor. But the ongoing discomfort from such a simple act as kneeling, the crunchiness, & the crater make me wonder if I should be paying more attention. It’s not an inconvenience now, but what if it turns into a progressive condition? I have no idea what (if anything) could be done for  this or whether it’s even worth a trip to the doctor. Anyone have any practical insight? Would YOU go to the doctor?

Summarized question: What can cause knee pain when kneeling or touching the knee?