Treatment For Patellar Chondromalacia
Patellar chondromalacia is one of the most common knee conditions. This joint is very prone to injury because it supports most of the human body weight. In addition, there are other risk factors, such as age, overweight, activity level, etc. Want to discover the main treatment for patellar chondromalacia?
Patellar chondromalacia is a relatively common condition in young adults. There is a higher incidence among those who practice football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, cycling, karate, rowing, rugby, athletics and ballet. Climbers are also very prone to this disease.
There is a debate about the use of the term patellar chondromalacia. The first word refers to the thinning of the knee cartilage. However, it began to be used to diagnose any pain in this joint.
Currently, the scientific community believes that we should talk about patellofemoral syndrome and not patellar chondromalacia when the exact cause of knee pain is not known. However, the term is medically accepted.
What is patellar chondromalacia?
The kneecaps are flat bones located on the front of the knee. They articulate the femur. Their main function is to protect and facilitate the sliding of the joint. Patellar chondromalacia is a degenerative condition that affects the cartilage located on the joint surface of the patella.
When this condition occurs, the bone is exposed to direct friction due to the movement of the joints. In most cases, it occurs due to thinning of the cartilage, the problem causing pain in the front of the knee.
Cartilage acts as a shock absorber at the joints. It consists of 90% water and 10% cells. This allows it to withstand the energy of impacts. In case of patellar or patellar chondromalacia, the cartilage has changed its structure. It is no longer smooth and becomes rough and gray.
The cartilage becomes thinner and irregular. Sometimes it has cracks and even cavities. In this case, the knee cracks at certain movements. There is also severe pain.
Causes of the problem
Characteristics
Pain usually occurs during physical activity. The pain intensifies when the patient runs on hard surfaces or when going up and down stairs. Pain also occurs when the patient is in a position that requires keeping the knees bent for a long time, in which case he also experiences stiffness.
When bending the knee, sounds characteristic of patellar chondromalacia appear. Over time, this abnormality affects the strength of the leg muscles and walking.
Depending on the evolution of this condition, there are different levels of severity. These are:
