Pop and subsequent pain in knee while squatting

Hi everyone,
During my low bar squat today, coming out of the hole in the second set there was an audible pop in the knee, followed by significant pain in the outside and back of the knee. I took a break and then planned to do some air squats to see how things were, but the pain was too much to be able. After rigging up a TRX and supporting most of my weight in my hands while lowering towards a squat position, I was able to perform several very shallow squats with moderate pain. Afterwards, the pain radiated toward the front of the knee. Any guidance/possible diagnoses? Thanks.

Sorry to hear about this situation. We really can’t speak to a diagnosis without a consultation. How have you been doing since onset? Have you been trying to manage loading?

Thanks for the reply. A week has passed and it’s feeling less dire than after first occurring. Hip dominant squats without weight are alright, however knee dominant squats are painful in the bottom of the ROM. I’ve been doing RDL’s, hip thrusts, planks, and upper body work and while there is some minor discomfort, they are fine to do with light to moderate weights. Heavier loads don’t feel as good. A couple of data points that might be of use: getting in and out of the car is painful as the knee is bent and kind of pivoting to sit down into the seat. Also, there was noticeable pain when trying the hip thrusts with the feet further apart and the toes pointed out. Also, being a long time standing or sitting causes a dull aching pain. I was planning to continue working the hip-dominant movements listed above and slowly reintroduce the knee dominant movements as pain lessens. Let me know if you think this is a good strategy and if you could provide any further guidance.
Thanks!

Hey - how have you been since your last comment? Without knowing what’s going on, it’s tough to weigh-in appropriately but I think based on the info we have, what you’ve outlined is reasonable.