Prefemoral fat pad impingement syndrome

Last revised by Rohit Sharma on 7 Aug 2023

Prefemoral fat pad impingement syndrome, also known as supratrochlear / posterior suprapatellar fat pad impingement syndrome, is one of the fat pad impingement syndromes of the knee, specifically involving the prefemoral fat pad.

Patients present with anterior knee pain exacerbated by hyperextension.

Prefemoral fat pad impingement is caused either by:

  1. prominent suprapatellar osteophyte, with the edema usually in the superior aspect close to the midline

  2. patellar tendon-lateral femoral condyle friction syndrome, with the edema, usually occurs in the inferolateral aspect of the fat pad secondary to lateral patellar dynamic subluxation

  • edema and enlargement of the prefemoral fat pad with high signal intensity on fluid sensitive images

Initial management is conservative with anti-inflammatory medications. If anterior knee pain persists, arthroscopic evaluation should be considered.

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