DR HQ: Anatomy 101—Patellar Chondromalacia

The Big Hurt

Rick Wilton

Apr 24 2013 11:04pm

DR HQ: Anatomy 101—Patellar Chondromalacia

Rick Wilton

Apr 24 2013

What is Patellar Chondromalacia?

The term patellar is the medical name for the kneecap. Chondromalacia is medical speak for inflammation of abnormal-appearing cartilage anywhere in the body but usually refers to an ailment involving the underside of the kneecap. It is also known by its common name of runner’s knee.

Illustration from http://www.artintercepts.org

What causes it?
First, a little bit of anatomy. On the backside of the patella there is a tissue called articular cartilage. This articular cartilage really is hyaline cartilage on the articular surfaces of bones. This is a different cartilage than meniscus, which acts as a cushion in the knee joint. This type of surface is the part of the bones that makes up part of the knee...

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