Patellofemoral Syndrome eMedicine PMR

Description: Patellofemoral syndrome (PFS) is characterized by a group of symptoms that are easily diagnosed and often respond to simple management. The common presentation is knee pain in association with positions of the knee that result in increased or misdirected mechanical forces between the kneecap and femur. Ironically, as simple as its presentation is, lack of consensus on the fundamental factors associated with PFS remains. Accordingly, synonyms for the syndrome go in and out of fashion. No agreement exists on the exact pathophysiology, but significant work is being completed on the extent and direction of the associated forces on the patella, as well as the tracking and alignment of the patella.
Synonyms and related keywords: anterior knee pain, patellofemoral pain syndrome, chondromalacia patella, movie-goer's knee PFS, PFPS
Potter & Sequeira 2006