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Patellofemoral Syndrome

Patellofemoral Syndrome

WHAT IS IT?

This is a pathology whose fundamental symptom is pain in the anterior side of the knee.

CAUSES

It occurs primarily due to alterations in patellae alignment, stress caused by excessive use (sportspeople, work-related), the degeneration of patellae cartilage (chondromalacia patellae), etc.

SYMPTOMS

Clinically, a dull pain is felt behind the kneecap which worsens when going up or down stairs or hills, or sitting for long periods, and often arises gradually and bilaterally. There may also be episodes of joint failure, joint clicking and a jammed sensation.

TREATMENT

In phases of severe pain, it is advisable to take relative rest, limiting the activities that imply patellofemoral stress (jumping, climbing stairs or slopes, running, etc) and to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication. Another solution may be the use of orthotics which helps to redistribute the strain on the joint. The use of these should be limited to a short period of time, since the muscle atrophy that this measure can cause may aggravate the problem in the long term. This solution should always go hand-in-hand with a functional rehabilitation programme to strengthen the quadriceps.

Intra-articular injections of Hyaluronic acid are recommended. Besides this, we may recommend treatment using injections of plasma rich in growth-factors (PRGF®-Endoret®) administered weekly, on an outpatient basis, for three consecutive weeks.

In cases of conservative treatment failure, surgical treatment will be considered following an exhaustive clinical and radiological study. This surgery will range from outer trochlear ridge incision to kneecap realignment, osteotomies, etc.