Arthritis Under My Kneecap

Arthritis is an inflammation in the joints that may cause great pain and limit mobility. The knee is a joint often affected by arthritis, and there are several ways to try to alleviate the problem.

Kneecap Arthritis

• Arthritis can affect your kneecap as well as the trochlear groove, which is underneath the kneecap.

Treatment

• When the pain becomes unbearable, several treatment options exist. Your kneecap can be removed with a procedure called a patellectomy, explains the Knee Hip Pain website. However, sometimes this operation results in arthritis cropping up in other part of the knee.

Other Considerations

• Another approach is to remove the hard shell under the defective cartilage in a procedure called spongialization. The hard shell or cortical bone is removed and the spongy bone, or the cancellous bone, is exposed.

Shifting Pressure

• Another option is to move the bump or the tibial tuberosity either up or down or left or right. Your patellar tendon is attached to this bump. The goal is to shift the pressure on your kneecap to another part of the kneecap that is not afflicted with arthritis and is still healthy. However, sometimes too many areas of the kneecap are arthritic for this approach to work.

Total Replacement

• Total kneecap replacement, called patella-femoral replacement (PFR), is another option. The kneecap (patella) and the groove at the end of the thigh bone called the trochlea are removed. A plastic button is attached to the underpart of the kneecap, and the trochlea is replaced with a piece of metal that resembles a shield.