Keep Patients With Chondromalacia on Track

I use an analogy to help patients understand patellofemoral syndrome (chondromalacia). I ask them to imagine a sliding closet door that always goes off its tracks. The door won't work well until the track is fixed. Similarly, by strengthening the vastus medialis obliquus muscles with exercises, one can fix the "door track" of the knee so that it can function properly again.

- Lawrence Adler, MD
   Beverly Hills, Calif