Effect of aspirin treatment on chondromalacia patellae

SUMMARY Twenty-nine patients (21 females and 8 males) with chondromalacia patellae diagnosed by arthroscopy were randomnly allocated to receive aspirin or placebo for 3 months. Clinical and arthroscopic examination after 3 months showed no significant change in symptoms, signs, or macroscopic appearances in either group. Surgical treatment was performed in 14 patients for deteriorating symptoms. Chondromalacia patellae, softening of the articular cartilage of the patella, is accompanied by fibril-lation, fissuring, and erosion of the cartilage. Later, sclerosis of the subchondral bone occurs. The histological appearances of the cartilage are indis-tinguishable from those of early osteoarthrosis, but a progressive osteoarthrotic process has not been recorded.' Since its first description by Budinger in 1906,2 chondromalacia patellae has been of great clinica