A new concept in the treatment of anterior knee pain: patellar hypertension syndrome.

This prospective clinical study evaluated 69 patients (136 knees) presenting with anterior knee pain after failure to respond to conservative treatment. All patients agreed to undergo minimally invasive intraosseous pressure measurements of the patella under local anesthesia. Forty patients (50 knees) demonstrated a positive pain provocation test (the typical pain sensation could be reproduced by raising intrapatellar pressure) and were treated with a new method of intraosseous drilling and decompression. Ninety percent of the patients treated experienced pain relief >3 years postoperatively. Repeated intraosseous pressure measurements in 33 knees 1 year postoperatively confirmed objective intraosseous pressure reduction in 88%. Patients with anterior knee pain and a positive pain provocation test were labeled as hypertension syndrome of the patella. These results indicate simple extra-articular patellar decompression may offer a valuable new form of treatment in select patients with anterior knee pain, ie, hypertension syndrome of the patella.