chondromalacia patellae

noun

variants or chondromalacia patella

: pain over the front of the knee with softening of the articular cartilage of the patella see runner's knee

In chondromalacia patellae, the cartilage has softened and crumbled. Fortunately, the damage can heal itself, but it requires rest.

—Paul Donohue, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch