Sports

Giants Kenny Phillips Injured: What Is Patellofemoral Arthritis?

by Tina Kells | September 24, 2009 at 07:04 pm

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NY Giants safety Kenny Phillips will be out for the season due to a condition known as patellofemoral arthritis fans were left wondering if he would return next year. They were also left wondering: What is patellofemoral arthritis?

Patellofemoral arthritis is an arthritis caused by damage to the articular cartilage of the patella, more commonly known as the knee cap. It is brought on by the same things that can cause arthritis in other joints; obesity, aging, joint instability, interarticular fractures, systematic inflammatory conditions and repetitive strain. In the case of Kenny Phillips patellofemoral arthritis was likely triggered by overuse or injury.

Whether or not Kenny Phillips returns to the NY Giants or football in general will depend on the severity of his patellofemoral arthritis. If the deterioration is severe he will likely have to retire from football, but if it has been caught early, with surgery and treatment, he could be playing in the NFL again next season.

When Giants safety Kenny Phillips was placed on injured reserve with a left knee injury this afternoon, the diagnosis the team revealed was patellofemoral arthritis -- a condition in which the the cartilage has worn down behind the kneecap, where it sits against the femur.

Since that is a joint that carries a lot of stress, it is a challenging condition for a football player and can result in lingering pain and discomfort. But the long-term prospects of playing with the condition vary widely depending on its severity in a player, which can only be determined by the doctors who examined him.

"It's premature to say it's career-ending unless you had the information (for the player)," said one physician who specializes in sports medicine, who asked to remain anonymous because he has not examined Phillips and does not know the specifics of his case. "It's a challenging problem to deal with. It's not something that’s going to likely go away; it's something hes going to have to deal with. But career-ending is kind of hard -- if it's significant, it can be career threatening."