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Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Joseph Ciotola of the Orthopedic Specialty Hospital at Mercy.

Mercy Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Joseph Ciotola Performs Partial Knee Replacement Surgery To Treat Patients With Patella Femoral Arthritis

Pain behind the kneecap can be a form of arthritis that's common in women and may require knee replacement surgery

According to orthopedic surgeon Dr. Joseph Ciotola of The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital at Mercy, patella femoral arthritis is common among middle-aged women and can happen when you sit for a long period of time, such as at the movies or on an airplane, or when you climb stairs. Patients can often hear a "crunching" sound.

A softening of the cartilage beneath the knee cap--the patella--results in small areas of breakdown and pain around the knee. Instead of gliding over the knee, the knee cap rubs against the thigh bone (the femur) when the knee moves, leading to mild to complete erosion of the cartilage.

The kneecap part of the joint is replaced when it is causing a lot of pain due to wear and tear. If the remainder of the joint is not worn then it can be left alone.

Dr. Ciotola said that in the early stages, patella femoral arthritis can be treated with a scope or cortisone injections, but in later stages a partial knee replacement may be in order.

Unlike a total knee replacement, where all the joint surfaces are replaced, the Avon patello-femoral knee replacement system developed by Stryker Orthopaedics, only resurfaces the part of the joint that involves the kneecap.

According to Dr. Ciotola, partial knee replacements have an advantage. Patients with a partial knee replacement become mobile more quickly and typically retain a better range of movement.

"Patients with partial knee replacements tend to function better than those who have total replacements, so it's definitely something to consider if you have focal arthritis in your knee," he said.

Issues that contribute to that kind of knee arthritis include obesity, age and sometimes the fact that knees aren't in alignment.