Chondromalacia patellae (softening and deterioration of kneecap cartilage)

Chondromalacia patellae (softening and deterioration of kneecap cartilage)

If you often feel pain when walking down stairs or hills, cartilage disease (chondropathy) on the rear of the kneecap (patella) may be the reason. In advanced stages of the illness, even normal use is associated with pain.

Chondromalacia patellae: Therapy

The first step in successfully treating cartilage damage in the knee is figuring out the cause. Malpositioning is a common cause of rapid cartilage damage. Insoles, physical therapy, repositioning surgery, etc. can effectively eliminate the causes.

Alternatively, therapy can address the knee joint directly. However, this usually first requires an arthroscopic examination of the cartilage.

• Cartilage regeneration treatment
• Microfractures
• Pridie drill holes
• Mosaicplasty
• Cartilage transplant
• MPFL reconstruction

The image shows pronounced cartilage damage on the back of the kneecap. By drilling fine holes in the kneecap (Pridie drilling), the sclerosed bone is perforated to allow for the fresh growth of blood vessels. An influx of mesenchymal stem cells stimulates the formation of new cartilage.