Anterior knee pain in the young patient--what causes the pain? "Neural model".

Anterior knee pain in young patients is the commonest type of knee disorder in clinical practice. However, the pathogenesis of this condition is unknown. On the basis of our recent research, we suggest a "neural model". In our view, hyperinnervation in the lateral retinaculum, mainly nociceptive substance P-positive nerves induced by the release of neural growth factor, is involved in the pathogenesis of anterior knee pain. We hypothesize that periodic short episodes of ischemia may trigger neural proliferation.