What is chondromalacia patellae and how should it be treated?
Knee pain when going up and down stairs, especially when going down stairs, knee pain when standing up after sitting for a long time, knee pain when squatting, but not when walking on a flat road, diagnosed as “chondromalacia patellae” at the hospital.
Let’s first understand what is the patella?
The knee joint consists of the lower femur, upper tibia and patella, which is the largest and most complex joint in the human body. The patella is responsible for conducting and enhancing the role of the quadriceps muscle, helping to maintain the stability of the knee joint, and acting as a pulley in the process of knee extension.
What is chondromalacia patellae?
Chondromalacia patella, also known as chondromalacia patellae and chondromalacia patellae, is a common disease of the knee joint that occurs in young adults, with a history of significant trauma or chronic cumulative small injuries, and is particularly common in athletes and sports enthusiasts, with a higher incidence in women than in men.
The main cause of chondromalacia patella is long-term, overload sports of the knee joint and direct trauma to the patella.
The typical symptoms of chondromalacia patella are pain and stiffness in the front of the knee joint, especially when climbing, walking up and down stairs or squatting and standing up, while there is no significant discomfort in the joint when walking on flat roads. Some patients may hear a creaking sound when the knee is extended and flexed, and may feel pain when they press their fingers around the patella.
There are many causes of pain in the front of the knee joint, and similar symptoms may occur when the structures surrounding the joint (such as ligaments, synovium, muscles, etc.) are diseased. Therefore, you should not rush to the right place, and we recommend that you seek prompt medical attention and professional diagnosis by your doctor.
How should chondromalacia patella be treated again?
When the symptoms are mild, conservative treatment, i.e. non-surgical treatment, is preferred.
During the acute painful period, rest should be taken, exercise should be suspended, and stairs and squatting should be avoided; internal and external non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs or sodium glass injections should be used to help lubricate the joint and relieve the symptoms. As well as slow-acting medications such as glucosamine, which may be used in the chronic phase.
Because knee pain decreases activity, the thigh muscles atrophy to varying degrees, and the stability of the knee joint decreases.
If symptoms are severe and conservative treatment is not effective, surgery should be performed in a timely manner, and a professional doctor will give reasonable advice on the specific surgical procedure.
Prevention is better than cure.
It is recommended that you control your weight reasonably, warm up sufficiently before and after exercise, reduce squatting and stairs, avoid prolonged squatting and sitting, and pay attention to avoid sports injuries and cold stimulation.
The most important thing is to strengthen the quadriceps muscles, which can increase joint stability, improve the stress distribution in the patellofemoral joint, and prevent fall injuries due to knee pain and tenderness.