Severe cartilage damage of the knee joint in two young women with hypermobility.

The purpose of this pictorial assay is to show the arthroscopic findings of two patients with hypermobility syndrome and patellofemoral malalignment. Severe chondral damage and recurrent bleeding were common findings in these patients. One patient also had a meniscal impingement syndrome. A dynamic assessment of the patellofemoral joint as well as the evaluation of the lateral and medial retinaculum was performed by arthroscopy. Pictures of damaged area on the articular cartilage were obtained through a 5-mm arthroscope using standard portals. A lack of the patellae retinaculum involvement was proved arthroscopically in both cases. Mechanical complaints and recurrent effusion, even without history of trauma, should alert physicians who manage patients with hypermobility. In patients with joint hypermobility, the damage of the cartilage is real and often a therapeutic challenge.