A:
Patella Femoral Syndrome (or chondromalacia patellae) refers to softening of the articular cartilage of the kneecap. The disorder can occur at any age and may be caused by injury, overuse, abnormal limb alignment, or muscle weakness. It is also known as housemaid’s knee.
Instead of gliding smoothly across the lower end of the thigh bone (femur), the kneecap rubs against it, thereby roughening the cartilage underneath the kneecap. The damage may range from a slight abnormality of the surface of the cartilage to a surface that has been worn away completely to the bone. Traumatic chondromalacia occurs when a blow to the knee cap tears off either a small piece of articular cartilage or a large fragment containing a piece of bone (osteochondral fracture).
