Knee Pain in Spanish

What it means

Knee pain is a common symptom in people of all ages. It may start suddenly, often after an injury or exercise, or it may begin as a mild discomfort and then slowly get worse. The knee joint is made up of bone, cartilage, ligaments and fluid, and muscles and tendons help it move; when any of these structures is hurt or diseased, knee problems follow, and they can cause pain and difficulty walking. Knee pain can have different causes, including arthritis, bursitis, tendinitis, a torn ligament and torn cartilage (a meniscus tear). To look for the cause, a provider performs a physical exam and may order tests such as an X-ray or an MRI of the knee.

Spanish term: Dolor de rodilla
Gender and article: masculine: el dolor de rodilla
Pronunciation: doh-LOR deh roh-DEE-yah

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
dolor en la rodilla	General	Wording with the preposition "en", used in the running text of the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia article.

Dolor de rodilla is the term the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia article uses, and the same article also writes dolor en la rodilla. Dolor is masculine (el dolor de rodilla, un dolor intenso), while the knee is feminine: la rodilla, plural las rodillas.

Useful words from the MedlinePlus en español pages: the kneecap is la rótula, the knee joint is la articulación de la rodilla, and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is el ligamento cruzado anterior, abbreviated LCA. A meniscus tear appears as ruptura de meniscos, and swelling as hinchazón or inflamación. For a knee that buckles, clicks or locks, the encyclopedia says la rodilla se dobla, produce un chasquido o se bloquea; a person who cannot bear weight on the knee no puede soportar peso en la rodilla. The tests are radiografía de la rodilla (X-ray) and resonancia magnética de la rodilla (MRI).

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	My right knee has hurt for two weeks, especially when I go down stairs.	Me duele la rodilla derecha desde hace dos semanas, sobre todo al bajar escaleras.
Clinician	Did the pain start suddenly, after an injury or exercise, or little by little?	¿El dolor empezó de repente, después de una lesión o de hacer ejercicio, o poco a poco?
Patient	I twisted my knee playing soccer, and it swelled up that same night.	Me torcí la rodilla jugando al fútbol, y se me hinchó esa misma noche.
Clinician	Can you put weight on that leg? Does the knee buckle, click or lock?	¿Puede apoyar peso en esa pierna? ¿La rodilla se le dobla, le hace un chasquido o se le bloquea?
Patient	I can't straighten my knee all the way.	No puedo estirar la rodilla por completo.
Clinician	Show me where it hurts: the front, the inside or the outside of the knee?	Muéstreme dónde le duele: ¿en la parte de adelante, en la parte interior o en la parte exterior de la rodilla?
Clinician	I am going to examine both knees and order an X-ray of the knee.	Voy a examinarle las dos rodillas y a pedirle una radiografía de la rodilla.
Patient	Is it arthritis, or could it be a torn ligament?	¿Es artritis, o podría ser una ruptura de ligamento?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Knee Pain
Spanish (Español)	Dolor de rodilla
Chinese (中文)	膝蓋痛
Korean (한국어)	무릎 통증
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Đau đầu gối
Filipino (Tagalog)	Sakit sa tuhod
Portuguese (Português)	Dor no joelho
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	อาการปวดเข่า
Japanese (日本語)	膝の痛み

Where you'll see it

chartintake formmedical recordtriage note

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: M25 → Other joint disorder, not elsewhere classified

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Bones, joints and muscles

All terms in this area: Bones, joints and muscles — Huesos, articulaciones y músculos

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.