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Chondromalacia patellae (CMP) results from damage to the cartilage which covers the posterior aspect (back) of the patella (knee cap). This is known as articular cartilage and acts to allow smooth movement and shock absorbtion between the patella and the groove through which it runs (formed by the Femur and Tibia).Chondromalacia patella is the softening and degeneration of the tissue (cartilage) underneath the kneecap (patella).

Chondromalacia patellae (also known as CMP, Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome and Runner’s Knee) is a term that goes back eighty years. It originally meant “soft cartilage under the knee cap,” a presumed cause of pain at the front of the knee. This condition often affects young, otherwise healthy athletes.

Chondromalacia is due to an irritation of the undersurface of the kneecap. The undersurface of the kneecap, or patella, is covered with a layer of smooth cartilage. This cartilage normally glides effortlessly across the knee during bending of the joint. However, in some individuals, the kneecap tends to rub against one side of the knee joint, and the cartilage surface become irritated, and knee pain is the result.

The term “chondromalacia” sometimes is used to describe abnormal-appearing cartilage anywhere in the body.[4] For example, a radiologist might note chondromalacia on an MRI of an ankle.

Chondromalacia is due to changes of the deepest layers of cartilage, causing blistering of the surface cartilage. The pattern of cartilage damage seen with chondromalacia is distinct from the degeneration seen in arthritis, and the damage from chondromalacia is thought to be capable of repair, unlike that seen with arthritis.

Chondromalacia literally means “softening of the cartilage”, and Patellae means “the knee-cap”. So Chondromalacia patellae means “softening of the articular cartilage of the knee-cap.” The articular cartilage is the cartilage lining under the knee-cap that articulates with the knee joint. Under normal circumstances, it is smooth and shiny, so that it glides smoothly along the articular groove of the femur as the knee bends. When it “softens”, it may break down, causing irregularities along the undersurface of the patella.

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