Thirty knees of twenty-five patients with chondropathy of the patella were operated on by Cave and Rowe procedure in our clinic from 1981. Two years' follow-up studies were performed in twelve patients. These patients consisted of six with idiopathic chodromalacia patellae and six with recurrent subluxation of the patella. Results were classified into four grades according to clinical findings: excellent, good, fair and poor. Five patients showed excellent results, seven good, and none fair or poor. At the time of surgery the subchondral bone exposed at the bottom of the ulcerative lession was frequently found to be hard and screlotic on the articular surface of the patella.
In arthroscopic findings of two cases one year after surgery, there was intercaleted synovial-like membrane around the chondrectomized surface of the patella which might be a layer created from fast tissue inplanted by operation.
