You can tell what kind of knee injury you have by the symptoms you get. If you have a torn knee ligament, you’ll probably have knee pain, swelling, and you may feel like your knee is giving way. And you may feel or hear a pop or snap at the time you injure your ligament. If you’ve torn your tendons, you may find your kneecap is lying higher or lower than it should be. If you have prepatellar bursitis, the pain may be worse when you bend your knee.
For more information, including when to see a doctor, see our section on symptoms of knee injuries.