What is patellar chondromalacia? Patellar chondromalacia refers to the softening of the cartilage in stages and most commonly affects athletes, recreational individuals who suddenly increase the intensity of their activities, and people with certain traumatic knee injuries. Patellar chondromalacia is typically characterized by pain and a feeling of instability in the knee. It develops gradually as a result of continuous wear and tear of the knee cartilage.

STAGES OF CARTILAGE DAMAGE

Chondromalacia of the patella has 4 stages, from the first, where the cartilage is only slightly damaged and pain occurs with some movements, to the fourth, where the bone is completely exposed, swelling and constant pain occur, accompanied by the sound of the knee creaking with all movements.

HOW CHONDROMALACIA OCCURS:

Chondromalacia is often associated with repetitive stress on the joints, strain, or injury.

Symptoms are most often knee pain or vague discomfort that worsens with activity or prolonged sitting. It often causes generalized knee pain, without swelling, especially when climbing or descending stairs.

Some clients may also experience a feeling of “tightness” in the knee. If symptoms of chronic inflammation are ignored, quadriceps muscle atrophy and knee swelling may occur.

THERAPY:

The therapy is individually adapted to the client and their current condition, and it is important to work on stretching and strengthening all the muscles of the upper leg so that the muscles are ready to take on a greater load, which will reduce stress on the cartilage.

In addition to kinesitherapy and targeted exercises, a combination of various manual techniques, electroprocedures and shockwave therapy is performed.