Both active adults and children endure several variations of anterior knee pain. Pain when going up and down stairs, pain after prolonged sitting and pain during and after activities with the intensity of walking or jogging are some of the symptoms patients suffer from. The four main categories that cause anterior knee pain are: Patellar Tracking Disorders and Instability; Chondral and Osteochondral Disorders; Soft Tissue Inflammations; and Traction Apophysitis. Subluxation and dislocation of the patella is a common problem that accounts from patellar tracking and instability abnormalities. Because of the increase in the Q Angle in women, females tend to develop pain around the patellar region. With an increased Q Angle comes the possibility of having patellofemoral malalignment because the pettily tracks laterally while the knee is extending. Subluxation occurs commonly while walking down stairs, running, jumping or twisting while putting weight on the affected leg. This is an acute injury with initial pain and the cease of activities for a couple of minutes but continual subluxation may become chronic. After a patellar dislocation most medial muscle attachments are torn and require medical treatments. With chondral and osteochondral disorders, patients usually have patellofemoral crepitation in addition to swelling, the sensation of the knee locking and anterior knee pain. Patellar tracking disorders may cause osteochondral disorders. Chrondromalacia is the softening of the cartilage of the pettily that usually occurs in four stages. First the articular cartilage shows blistering or softening. In the second stage, fissures, or narrow openings appear in the cartilage. In the third stage, fibrillation of the cartilage takes place. Finally the subchondral bone is exposed and cartilage defects are apparent. Falling directly on the knee may cause an osteochondral fracture. The symptoms are catching, locking, and swelling of the knee. The treatment for this fracture is an arthroscopic procedure to remove or fixate the bone fragment. Tendinitis, bursitis and synovitis are all common examples of soft tissue inflammation. Tendinitis of the knee area is an extra-articular inflammation and occurs most often at the quadracep and patellar tendons. Pes anserinus bursitis are also examples of extra-articular inflammation. Persistent muscular weakness, imbalance after an injury and over use of the knee joint account for synovitis which is an articular inflammation. Some suggested treatments for soft-tissue inflammation are whirlpool, ice treatments, anit-inflammatory medications and strengthening exercises. Osgood-Schatter Disease is the most common form of traction apophysitis. This inflammation of the attachment of the patellar tendon on the tibial tubercle causes pain and swelling. Another form of traction apophysitis is a bipartite pettily. This occurs when the superior lateral quadrant of the pettily does not unite with the rest of the pettily. the result is a separate bony fragment attached to the rest of the pettily. These types of knee diseases are related to an area of growth and usually stop once an adolescent has stopped growing. Activities should be limited but a patient is able to do what he or she feels able to do. Most anterior knee pain in active people is related to the patellofemoral joint and is able to be properly treated. If and when surgery is needed, rehabilitation after the operation produces encourageable results.