My knee gives way when I run

A knee that genuinely buckles may indicate instability, a mechanical problem inside the joint, or muscle inhibition caused by pain and swelling.

Those problems need different treatments.

If the knee suddenly buckles

If your knee actually collapses and you nearly fall, we think about instability.

An ACL injury is one possible cause, particularly when the episode happens during turning, pivoting or landing.

If the knee catches or locks

This points more towards a mechanical problem.

A torn meniscus or loose fragment may physically interfere with normal movement.

If the knee feels as though it might give way

Sometimes the knee is not truly unstable.

Pain and swelling can temporarily inhibit the quadriceps muscle, making the knee feel unreliable even though the ligaments are intact.

That often improves with appropriate rehabilitation.

What we do about it

We examine the knee properly.

For instability, that means specific clinical tests—not simply looking at the MRI.

The scan tells us what is there. The examination helps us understand whether it matters.

If the problem is muscle inhibition, you may need rehabilitation rather than surgery.

If a meniscal tear is mechanically interfering with movement, the treatment may be different.

If the ACL is responsible for genuine instability, we go back to the more important question:

Does reconstruction fit the life you want your knee to support?

When to come in sooner

If your knee locks and will not straighten, or repeatedly gives way unpredictably during ordinary walking, it deserves assessment rather than simply being left to settle.