Anterior Knee Pain Often Is a Sign of Patellofemoral Osteoarthritis

But clinical signs might not be sufficient to make this diagnosis without further testing.

Knee osteoarthritis can present in the patellofemoral joint (PFJ), the medial or lateral component of the tibiofemoral joint (TFJ), or both. Much research has been focused on the TFJ, but some studies have shown that PFJ osteoarthritis is as common as TFJ osteoarthritis. Differentiating between the two is important, because treatment options are different. Traditionally, PFJ osteoarthritis is diagnosed based on the presence of anterior knee pain, knee effusion, and quadriceps/vastus atrophy. To determine whether self-reported location of knee pain and exacerbators of knee pain discriminated among patients with isolated PFJ damage, isolated TFJ damage, or no damage, U.S. researchers questioned 407 patients with magnetic resonance imaging (MR…

Reviewing Author

Jonathan S. Coblyn, MD

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Consultant / Advisory BoardCVS Health

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Jonathan S. Coblyn, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory BoardCVS Health

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Anterior Knee Pain Often Is a Sign of Patellofemoral Osteoarthritis

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Reviewing Author