The Hoffa–Kastert syndrome was first described at the beginning of the twentieth century (Hoffa in Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift 30:337–338, 1904). The assumption of an independent disease of Hoffa's fat pad was extended by Kastert in the midtwentieth century with the finding that another pathology in the knee must be the cause for the inflammatory change (“Hoffaitis”) (Kastert in Chirurg 24:390–394, 1953).

The fat pad can increase in size as a result of repeated trauma and lead to entrapment as described here.

Complete removal of the circumscribed tumour could eliminate the joint blockage.