[Chondromalacia patellae--arthrographic observations on the genesis and diagnosis of cartilaginous damage (author's transl)].

Thanks to recent advances in arthrography, diagnosis of cartilaginous lesions has increasingly become a task of the radiologist. An accurate assessment of the cartilage of the femoropatellar joint can be established via double-contrast technique and so-called "défilé" projections, whereas the axial projection of the patella without contrast medium shows only secondary arthrotic changes of bone and is unsuitable for demonstrating early cartilaginous damage. The classification of dysplastic patellae into different types according to Wiberg and Baumgartl yields a statistical correlation with the frequency of chondromalacia, but does not give any conclusive evidence in individual cases. A special influence on joint mechanics and the development of chondromalacia patellae is exercised by a cartilaginous ridge of the medial patellar facette.