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Prospective long-term results of operative treatment in primary dislocation of the patella

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Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Aims and scope

Abstract

Among 53 prospectively studied patients who had undergone operative treatment of primary patellar dislocation, 9 (17%) suffered recurrence within an average follow-up of 6.5 years. All the redislocations occurred in female patients. The patients with recurrence also suffered first-time patellar dislocation in their unoperated knee during the follow-up significantly more often (P<0.01) than the patients with stable knees. Patients with redislocations were more often dissatisfied with their outcome than the stable group, mainly because of annoying anterior knee pain (P<0.05). Preoperatively the patients with redislocation had had more pronounced pathological patellofemoral congruity (Laurin's projections) in both the operated knee (P<0.05) and the, at that time uninjured, control knee (P<0.05). To improve the results of operative treatment for acute patellar dislocation, surgery should be aimed at correcting the underlying pathology. In grossly and symmetrically pathological cases of patellofemoral articulation, a distal realignment procedure should be considered. Otherwise conservative treatment may be justified.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Orthopaedic Hospital of the Invalid Foundation, Tenholantie 10, SF-00280, Helsinki, Finland

    A. Harilainen MD & J. Sandelin

  2. Jorvi Hospital, Espoo, Finland

    A. Harilainen MD

Authors
  1. A. Harilainen MD
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  2. J. Sandelin
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Harilainen, A., Sandelin, J. Prospective long-term results of operative treatment in primary dislocation of the patella. Knee Surg, Sports traumatol, Arthroscopy 1, 100–103 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01565461

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