Kneecap Inflammation ('RSD')

This is one of the most difficult and frustrating of all kneecap conditions, both to diagnose and to treat. The kneecap becomes unexpectedly and excessively inflamed often after minor injury or minor surgery or sometimes for no obvious reason at all.
It can cause quite severe ache or pain especially on 'Bent Knee Activity (BKA) such as squatting, stairs, ladders, getting up out of a chair, walking/running on slopes or hills, jumping and lifting.
The condition may be caused by a disturbance to the nerves around the knee. This is sometimes called ‘Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy’ (RSD) and there are various grades of severity of this condition..
A bone scan may show a dramatic increase in blood supply to the kneecap even though the plain Xray may appear normal.
Treatment is difficult, frustrating and not always successful. It may involve sympathetic nerve blocks by an anaesthetist to stop the disturbance to the nerves around the knee.
There is some evidence that the condition will ‘fade’ over a period of several years and in the meantime restiction of bending activities and lots of pain relief is the only possible help. Surgery can make the condition worse!