The arthroscope allows your doctor to actually look into the knee joint and see the condition of the articular cartilage on the back of your patella. The vast majority of patello-femoral problems are diagnosed without resorting to surgery, and arthroscopy is usually reserved to treat the problems identified by other means. The Initial treatment for a patellar problem begins by decreasing the inflammation in the knee. Rest and anti-inflammatory medications, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, may be suggested by your physician. This can help decrease the pain and swelling.
Physical therapy can help in the early stages by decreasing pain and inflammation.
Your physical therapist may suggest different modalities, such as ice massage or taping the patella to help reduce the pain initially. As the acute symptoms become controlled, your physical therapist can provide several treatment choices to help correct problems with flexibility, strength, alignment, and muscle balance in the knee. If these measures fail to improve your condition surgery may be indicated. Arthroscopy is sometimes useful in the treatment of patello-femoral problems of the knee. Looking directly at the articular cartilage surfaces of the patella and the patello-femoral groove is the most accurate way of determining how much wear and tear there is in these areas.