Deterioration and softening of the articular cartilage of the kneecap in adolescents and young people. It can lead to osteoarthritis. The condition may occur as an overuse injury in exercisers, and is associated with recurrent swelling. Pain is felt after exercise, during exercise, or after sitting for prolonged periods. Often, the knee gives way unexpectedly. Chondromalacia patellae has become, in the words of one eminent specialist of sports injuries, a ‘wastebasket’ term applied to any syndrome characterized by pain and a crackling sound around the front of the knee. The term should be restricted to those conditions in which there is actual damage of the articular cartilage. See also patellofemoral malalignment.

Food and Fitness: A Dictionary of Diet and Exercise. Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.