Medial femoral condyle necrosis and chondrocalcinosis--a causal relationship?

The three cases of idiopathic medial femoral condyle necrosis, presenting to this hospital over a five-year period, are reported. All the patients also had chondrocalcinosis in the affected knee at the time of presentation, an association previously not recorded. Only one patient, however, showed evidence of generalised chondrocalcinosis. To date two knees have come to total knee replacement for aggressive degenerative disease in the medial compartment and genu varum. It is not certain whether chondrocalcinosis and medial femoral condyle necrosis are linked aetiologically; however, it would seem that the presence of chondrocalcinosis is an adverse prognostic indicator.