hi, i hurt my knee a week ago by pulling a muscle at the gym, now that feels better, but i just noticed today i have pain on my kneecap and a strange spongy mass that moves and hurts when i push on it. any ideas? i am going to try ice later, i really hope i didn't do something like injure my acl. thanks

What you need to do is try the RICE treatment.

This means Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.

As you may already know, the knee is very sensitive and contains a lot of cartilege and ligaments that are very fine and prone to injury. As you said yourself, there are the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments that are very easily damaged.

However, try this treatment and you maybe lucky. It is just that damaging cruciate ligaments are extremely painful and possibly more painful than you have described, so it may just be that you have strained and stretched some of the muscles, and ligaments rather than your ACL.

If it does not resolve however, go and get this checked out, as your ligaments are very tricky to mend.

Try the RICE trick first though.

Good luck

thanks for the advice. it has helped along with my medicine and stuff, however it still hurts sometimes, especially when i lay down to sleep. even with a pillow on it it still hurts, and i believe there is a little swelling in that area. alright, well i will go now and thanks for the help.

Since you have had this for over a week know I would recommend getting the lump checked out just to be sure it is nothing serious. Follow Sarah's recommendations but consider getting the lump checked out since this has been there for over a week.