Need some help from the PT's

[KnottedYet]

Probably not serious end-of-the-world damage, but there could be something awry just enough that it's inhibiting proper function at the joint and giving you what feels like patellar tendonitis.

(for example, when my foot is getting floppy -like from shoes that need to be replaced- I feel it in my knee. My poor knee gets stuck trying to handle the twist caused by my foot. That messes up the function of my knee, but my foot never hurts.)

Your doc/PT can help you figure out the cause of the tendon pain. Make sure they track it down! (in my example: I could ice my knee til the cows come home, but if I don't fix my shoe my knee doesn't get better.) And don't be surprised if the cause turns out to be far away from your knee, like in your foot or your hip. Or it could be inside the knee joint itself.

Knees are kinda like canaries in the coal mine, especially for women since we put such angled stresses through our knees.