you can get bursitis from
you can get bursitis from Pez?!
ok, sorry about that. I couldn't resist.
If it were on the outside of the knee it kind of sounds like ITBS, but on the inside I'm not sure. have you tried getting a massage or using a roller or anything on the tight area? an uneducated guess (based on what I know of ITBS and similar ailments) would lead me to believe the "tight bands" are muscles or ligaments pulling on that spot at the knee, and thus the knee pain. for example, I had a bout with ITBS a couple months back, where i had some significant pain at my right knee (but on the outside), coupled with a tightness running up the length of my thigh (which is typical of ITBS, I'm told). I rolled the hell out of the tight area for a few days and the pain in my knee went away.