pathology: retropatellar arthrosis

yogabook / pathology / retropatellar arthrosis

Definition

Arthrosis of the femoropatellar joint, categorisable into stages:

  1. mild arthrosis with thinning of the hyaline cartilage to 3 mm moderate: (instead of 6-7)
  2. Distance between bone substance patella and trochlea falls below 3 mm
  3. severe: first bone contact
  4. Very heavy: continuous cone contact over a wide range

Cause

  1. Patellar dysplasia
  2. Patellar fractures
  3. repeated patellar dislocations
  4. inflammatory diseases of the knee joint (arthritis)
  5. Degenerative changes of the knee joint

Predisposing

  1. Chondropathia patellae
  2. muscular imbalances, especially of the heads of the quadriceps
  3. Ligament laxity
  4. displaced Tuberositas tibiae
  5. Patellar dysplasia, trochlear dysplasia
  6. Kneeling activities: Priests, tilers, pavers, floor layers
  7. X-leg: co-occurrence with X-leg-arthrosis
  8. Obesity
  9. Overuse
  10. Trauma
  11. ACL plasty from patellar ligament

Diagnosis

  1. X-ray, MRI

Symptoms

  1. Retropatellar pain, especially when standing up, climbing stairs (from more than up), walking downhill, often as start-up pain
  2. Pain when kneeling, squatting
  3. Retropatellar crunching
  4. Signs of inflammation with activated arthrosis
  5. In a more advanced stage: feeling of blockage

Complications

Therapy

  1. depending on the cause: NSAR, patellar centring
  2. Autologous cartilage transplantation
  3. partial patellofemoral prosthesis (not for rheumatoid diseases, severe osteoporosis, bacterial infections, axial misalignments, instability of the knee joint)