What are the treatment options for Patello-Femoral Joint Disorder?

For someone suffering from Patello-femoral joint disorder, the result is a pain in the front of the knee and around the kneecap or patella. This disorder is commonly caused by overuse of the knee joint or trauma. Anyone can develop symptoms of this condition; however, it is more common in athletes. As a result, this disorder is sometimes referred to as jumper’s or runner’s knee.

Symptoms

The most common symptom of patello-femoral joint disorder is a dull pain that is usually across the front of the knee. This pain can be in just one knee or in both and usually gets worse with physical activity. The condition can also cause pain after sitting for a long time, cracking or popping sounds from the knee when climbing stairs, or after sitting for a long period.

Treatment

As patello-femoral disorder is often caused by overuse, resting the knee can help to alleviate symptoms. Elevating the knee, using support bandages, and taking painkillers such as ibuprofen might help some individuals. By adapting future exercise, sufferers may be able to reduce the chances of patello-femoral pain in the future. For example, try sticking to low-impact activities in the days immediately following high impact activity.

If non-surgical treatments such as physiotherapy and orthotics have failed to reduce the pain and discomfort felt by sufferers, patients may wish to consider several surgical options.

Lateral Release

This surgical procedure targets the lateral retinaculum. This ligament is found on the outside edge of the kneecap and can cause patello-femoral pain if this ligament is tight.

Arthroscopic Debridement

Arthroscopic debridement, a form of knee arthroscopy surgery, removes torn menisci or smooths out the rough articular. This procedure is designed to remove anything within the knee joint that is interfering with movement. This surgery can use arthroscopic instruments, meaning that only small incisions are required.

Microfracture

A microfracture procedure aims to correct chondral defects. This involves the removal of any unstable cartilage, and holes may be drilled into the damaged areas to encourage the growth of fibrous cartilage.

To find out if you would benefit from patello-femoral surgery, get in touch with the leading Manchester knee and hip surgeon today.