The patellofemoral joint

Abstract

The patellofemoral joint has traditionally been poorly understood and interventions for patellofemoral joint problems have generally been less successful than those employed for the tibiofemoral joint. Pathologies affecting the patellofemoral joint in the adult can be largely divided into three groups: instability, osteochondral defects and osteoarthritis. These three conditions share a number of aetiological factors and all represent disorders of the normal mechanics of the patellofemoral articulation. As such, understanding the normal and abnormal anatomy and kinematics of the joint are vital to clinicians treating patellofemoral disorders. Treating the symptoms of these conditions without addressing the underlying disorder of kinematics will be likely to fail. In this chapter, the normal and abnormal anatomy and physiology of the joint are discussed as are the clinical features and treatments for the three commonly encountered pathologies of the patellofemoral joint.