After more than a few minutes of inactivity, if I extend my knee there is a loud snapping noise followed by intense pain. It was getting better, but doing squats during workout routines seems to have aggravated it. I am trying to figure out which of two possible causes is more likely, or if both had negative effects. The first was my wife repeatedly hitting the patella area to get the reflex reaction. The second hitting the knee area on the ground during weighted lunges.