Chondromalacia of the Patella: Physical Signs in Relation to Operative Findings

Cartilaginous changes on the patella are common and were demonstrated in 50 out of 100 patients who underwent operation for intraarticular disease of the knee joint. In order to clarify further the signs of this condition, the physical signs were related to the operative findings. Retropatellar crepitation was present in most cases, but cannot be called pathognomonic. Pain on grating and tenderness on palpation of the patella in fact occurred together only in cases with cartilaginous changes on the patella. On the other hand, cartilaginous changes were found in several cases without such signs, a condition which perhaps should be interpreted as cartilaginous changes only, not as the symptom complex chondromalacia of the patella in which there ought to be a history of symptoms.