Chondromalacia of the patella is a major component of patellofemoral pain, or pain in the anterior knee. The patella sits in a groove on the femur (trochlear groove). The undersurface of the patella and the surface of the trochlear groove is lined with a layer of articular cartilage.
M22. 4 - Chondromalacia patellae | ICD-10-CM.
Chondromalacia patella, more commonly referred to as runners knee, is a condition where the cartilage along the underside of the kneecap begins to soften and deteriorates over time. When looking at the anatomy of the knee, the patella, or kneecap is designed to glide over a narrow groove on the top of the femur.
Femoral Condyle Chondromalacia: Damage to the cartilage on the end of the bone is known as arthritis. This could also be described as “chondromalacia” which is basically a “kind” term for arthritis. Any damage to the cartilage in the body in effect is arthritis.
A condition called patellofemoral (PF) chondrosis describes cartilage loss on the surface of the kneecap. 2 Another term for the condition is chondromalacia, and its severity is graded on a scale from one to four.
Chondromalacia patella (knee pain) is the softening and breakdown of the tissue (cartilage) on the underside of the kneecap (patella). Pain results when the knee and the thigh bone (femur) rub together. Dull, aching pain and/or a feeling of grinding when the knee is flexed may occur.
Chondromalacia patella is one of the most common causes of chronic knee pain. Chondromalacia patella results from degeneration of cartilage due to poor alignment of the kneecap (patella) as it slides over the lower end of the thighbone (femur). This process is sometimes referred to as patellofemoral syndrome.
The patellofemoral compartment is the compartment in the front of the knee between the knee cap and thigh bone. The medial compartment is the area on the inside portion of the knee, and the lateral compartment is the area on the outside portion of the knee joint.
The medial compartment of the knee includes everything within the inner half of the joint and is located where the tibia (shinbone) and femur (thigh bone) meet. The rounded end of the femur bone (medial femoral condyle) sits on a flattened area of the tibia bone called the medial tibial plateau.
The trochlea of femur (femoral trochlea) is the cranial cartilaginous part of distal femur, for articulation with the patella fo form the femoral patellar joint. It consists of a groove bounded by the medial and a lateral ridges.
Femur (Thigh Bone) The femoral condyles are the two rounded prominences at the end of the femur; they are called the medial and the lateral femoral condyle, respectively. The motions of the condyles include rocking, gliding and rotating.
Medical Definition of medial condyle : a condyle on the inner side of the lower extremity of the femur also : a corresponding eminence on the upper part of the tibia that articulates with the medial condyle of the femur — compare lateral condyle.
Articular Cartilage Defect#N#For an isolated "articular cartilage defect" the most specific code would be M94.8X _: Other Specified Disorders of Cartilage (of joint). Although this code set includes the knee (lower leg: 6) and does not appear to exclude the Patella, I think that for the Patella, M22.8 _ (Other Disorders of the Patella) would be more correct. M24.8 _: Other Specified Derangement of Joint NEC seems to me to be far less specific. This is the simplest answer to the question, but this can be only a part of the joint problem. Other concerns are the presence or absence of a Cartilaginous Loose Body (s) originating from the "defect," and/or is there other articular cartilage disease of the joint, such as Chondromalacia?#N#Chondromalacia is "softening" of the articular cartilage, with varying degrees of depth and severity of involvement. It can progress to the point of producing an articular cartilage defect all the way to the bone underneath. For all joints and areas other than the Patella, M94.2 _ _ would apply to the associated Chondromalacia, if present. For Patellar Chondromalacia, if associated with an articular cartilage defect, then M22.4 _ would apply. However, the presence of Chondromalacia in any joint or area does not necessarily mean there is an articular cartilage defect, but the two can occur simultaneously/concurrently.#N#An articular cartilage defect can also be associated with &/or the source of a Cartilaginous Loose Body in the affected joint. For the knee joint, the code for an associated Loose Body would be M23.4 _; but for other joints, it would be M24.1 _ _.#N#I would be careful about "Cartilage Derangement" as regards this problem/issue. As it applies to the knee joint, "Cartilage Derangement" applies to meniscal tears, not articular cartilage disorders.#N#I hope this is more helpful than confusing.#N#Respectfully submitted, Alan Pechacek, M.D.
However, the presence of Chondromalacia in any joint or area does not necessarily mean there is an articular cartilage defect, but the two can occur simultaneously/concurrently. An articular cartilage defect can also be associated with &/or the source of a Cartilaginous Loose Body in the affected joint.