Chondropathy: how to treat knee pain?

Chondropathy means cartilage damage. She can touch all joints. We distinguish the femorotibial chondropathy and patellofemoral chondropathy which mainly affects young women. THE pains localized and walking difficulties are the main symptoms of chondropathy. How to establish the diagnostic ? What are the treatments to cure her?

Definition: what is chondropathy?

There knee chondropathy corresponds to a cartilage damage on all articular surfaces of that joint. “Chondropathy represents an early stage of osteoarthritis, it affects the superficial layers of the cartilage“says Prof. Francis Berenbaum, rheumatologist. The knee is made up of 3 joint compartments : internal femoro-tibial (femur and internal tibia), external femoro-tibial (femur and external tibia) and femoro-patellar (patella and femur). The 3 compartments can be the seat of chondropathy. We distinguish patellofemoral chondropathy and tibial femoral chondropathy.

What is patellofemoral chondropathy?

Femoro-patellar chondropathy (which can give the “femoro-patellar syndrome”), is damage to the cartilage of the patellofemoral joint at the knee (between the femur and the patella). When the damage is minimal, it causes no symptoms. On the other hand, as it progresses, it can cause knee pain and discomfort, especially when squatting. “She gets more young women. It is manifested by pain that occurs when climbing and especially when descending stairs, or when the person gets up from a chair after sitting for a long time.“says Professor Francis Berenbaum.

What is femoro-tibial chondropathy?

Femorotibial chondropathy lies between the femur and the tibia. The pain and discomfort are progressive and manifest themselves mainly when walking, whether on flat or uneven ground, or when climbing stairs.

What are the symptoms of chondropathy?

Chondropathy of the knee is often asymptomatic at an early stage. The greater the damage, the more pain and discomfort appear. “It is mainly about joint stiffness and pain which lead to difficulty in walking. The pain is particularly evident when climbing or descending stairs and after sitting for a long time“says Professor Francis Berenbaum.

What causes chondropathy?

The causes of cartilage wear in this place are often unknown, but excessive effort favors them. Other causes are also possible such as:

• malformations or patella instabilities
• THE accidents or trauma (including repetitive strain injury)
• excess weight is a contributing factor

The diagnosis is most often based on the interrogation and a clinical assessment. potentially supplemented by a knee x-ray. An MRI is rarely requestedonly in case of diagnostic doubt, allowing then to observe if the cartilage is damaged.

When to consult for a chondropathy?

“As soon as knee pain persists for several weeks, it is necessary to consult a general practitioner who will be able to set up the treatment and possibly refer the patient to a specialist if necessary, in the event of doubt in the diagnosis or of therapeutic failure. Chondropathy of the knee, in particular patellofemoral, is painful and troublesome for walking but generally clears up with treatment. So it’s not a serious condition.“wishes to remind our interlocutor.

► The physiotherapy exercises are the main treatment for chondropathy, they are particularly effective in patellofemoral chondropathy. “Rehabilitation and strengthening of the quadriceps will allow stabilize the patella and make the pain disappears“says the rheumatologist. Physical activity is also recommended for prevention and treatment.

► From paracetamol, analgesics and anti-inflammatories may be prescribed for pain relief. “Sometimes, cortisone injections are recommended in the event of inflammatory flare-ups and injections ofhyaluronic acid are sometimes offered“adds our expert.

► Finally, the weightloss is recommended in case of overweight or obesity.

Thank you to Pr Francis Berenbaum, rheumatologist and Head of the Rheumatology Department at Saint-Antoine Hospital.