Scintigraphy in the assessment of anterior knee pain

Sixty knees presenting with chronic anterior pain were investigated. A diffusely increased uptake indicated sympathetically mediated pain provided other diagnoses such as synovitis or widespread arthrosis were excluded. Focal uptake was not specific to any one condition, but could occur in chondromalacia patellae or recent dislocations. However, the commonest appearance found in chondromalacia patellae was a normal scan. A characteristic scintigraphic appearance in symptomatic postpatellectomy knees, which has not been previously reported, was increased uptake in the femoral groove. In all the cases where no clinical or arthroscopic diagnosis was made, the bone scan was normal. The use of radioisotope scintigraphy is recommended in the problem knee presenting with anterior pain.