Management of Patellofemoral Arthritis Without Arthroplasty

Management of patellofemoral arthritis without arthroplasty is a difficult but achievable task. More and more young individuals present with disabling patellofemoral chondrosis that can be treated with cartilage restoration procedures often in combination with patellofemoral alignment procedures. This chapter will focus on the key elements necessary to evaluate the young patient with patellofemoral pain and will explain the different available techniques of cartilage restoration. We demonstrate the role of distal patellofemoral alignment, single stage techniques (i.e. microfracture, mosaic/oats techniques), two stage techniques and allograft options. The most recent literature dealing with these techniques is reviewed and recommendations are being given based upon the literature and the author's experience.