Chondromalacia patellae

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Chondromalacia of the patella

Chondromalacia patellae

Alternative Names:

Patellofemoral syndrome; Anterior knee pain
Treatment:

Temporarily restingthe knee and taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin may help relieve pain. Physical therapy, especially quadriceps strengthening and hamstring stretching, may be helpful.

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Participation in sports or strenuous activity should be limited until the pain has gone away. Activities that increase the knee pain, such as deep knee bends, should be avoided until the pain improves.

If the alignment of the patella that cannot be corrected with therapy, surgery may be an option. Depending on the nature of the misalignment, the surgery may be arthroscopic (using a camera, which allows a smaller incision) or open.

Expectations (prognosis):

Chondromalacia patella usually improves with therapy and use of NSAIDs. For the few people who need it, surgery is successful about 90% of the time.

Complications:

The primary complication is failure of treatment to relieve pain.

When surgery is necessary, surgical complications may include infection, failure to relieve pain, and worsening pain.

Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if symptoms of this disorder develop.