Managing patellofemoral arthritis
Management includes:
- pain management with pain-killers and anti-inflammatories
- bracing or taping of the patella
- more ergonomic footware
- cartilage repair
- cartilage replacement (eg trochlear implants)
- knee replacement
Osteoarthritic joint cartilage destruction of the patellofemoral joint may involve either the cartilage surface of the patella, or of the trochlear groove, or both.
Symptoms of patellofemoral arthritis
When the articular surfaces between the back of the patella and groove of the femur are affected with arthritis, most of the symptoms are apparent when the person takes weight on the leg.
There may be difficulty standing up from a sitting position, or dropping into a sitting position or descending stairs.
Pain at rest is commonly worse at night.
Relevant links on KNEEguru
A-Z Keywords
Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Patellofemoral joint, Trochlea, Outerbridge classification, Trochlear implant