Surgery may be necessary in some cases. Your surgeon or physician may recommend arthroscopic surgery to assess the extent of the injury and smooth the surface of the cartilage. Other procedures to correct alignment of the kneecap may be undertaken simultaneously.Strengthening Exercises
The best exercises for chondromalacia tend to be those that focus on the hip (gluteal exercises) and flexibility exercises. An exercise that directly put force through the knee, especially the knee extension exercise is not appropriate and usually painful. Swimming is a good overall exercise.
A more specific exercise, for example, is what we call the lateral "monster walk." This requires a 20-inch piece of thick theraband or tubing tied in a circle and wrapped around both ankles. The patient will stand with his feet shoulder-width apart (never let the feet get any closer than that) and he walks sideways across the floor against the resistance of the band. The knees should be slightly bent; the buttocks should be down and back. Stress should be felt in the quadriceps and in the gluteal muscles. Repeat 10 steps in each direction, 2-3 times.
Bicycling can sometimes be an irritant for chondromalacia in some people, but in others it can be a very good exercise. Do not do it or any exercise, if it reproduces your pain.
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