Chondromalacia patellae.

Chondromalacia patellae is one of the most frequently encountered causes of knee pain in young people. The word chondromalacia is derived from the Greek words, chrondros, meaning cartilage and malakia, meaning softening. Hence chondromalacia patellae is a softening of the articular cartilage on the posterior surface of the patella. It may eventually lead to fibrillation, fissuring and erosion.