I would say if you've got something popping in there you should probably go see your doctor. Usually an ITB injury will hurt while you're running, but it's hard to say. Good luck to you!

Here's a possibilty:
See the last paragraph.

Meniscal injury of the knee


Bruce C Anderson, MD


UpToDate performs a continuous review of over 375 journals and other resources. Updates are added as important new information is published. The literature review for version 15.1 is current through December 2006; this topic was last changed on May 12, 2005. The next version of UpToDate (15.2) will be released in June 2007.

INTRODUCTION ? A torn meniscus is a disruption of the fibrocartilage pads located between the femoral condyles and the tibial plateaus (show figure 1) [1]. The medial and lateral meniscus provide shock absorption and play a role in joint lubrication.

Tears are classified as partial or complex; anterior, lateral, or posterior; traumatic or degenerative; and horizontal, vertical, radial, parrot-beak, or bucket handle. Significant tears lead to loss of smooth motion of the knee (locking), knee effusion, and premature osteoarthritis. Meniscal tears may occur in isolation or in association with a medial collateral ligament (MCL) or anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear [2].

PRESENTATION ? The most common cause of meniscal injury is a twisting injury with the foot fixed; this frequently occurs in football and basketball. Older individuals may have degenerative tear with a history of minimal or no trauma.

The degree of pain at the time of injury is variable; most patients can ambulate after a small tear occurs and may continue to participate in the activity that caused the injury. The acute event is then followed by an insidious onset of pain and swelling over 24 hours. The pain is exacerbated by twisting or pivoting movements. Severe tears are usually associated with more significant pain and early restriction of knee motion. Some patients describe a tearing or popping sensation at the time of injury.

Patients with untreated meniscal tears can present weeks after the injury complaining of popping, locking, catching, and the knee "giving out," or may simply report a vague sense that the knee is not moving properly. This feeling of instability is related to the proprioceptive misinformation that occurs when a fragment (eg, meniscal tear) floats between the two articular surfaces, creating the sensation that the knee is not in the position in which it was anticipated to be. "Locking" is not true locking in the sense of not being able to move at all, but rather reflects the inability to fully extend the knee because of interference from the torn meniscus.