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Good patient satisfaction with low complications rate after trochleoplasty in patellofemoral instability

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Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Aims and scope

Abstract

Purpose

Trochlear dysplasia has been recognized as the most common factor in patients with patellofemoral dislocation. Trochleoplasty is a surgical procedure whose primary goal is to modify the femoral trochlea’s abnormal shape in patients suffering from patellar instability, requiring good surgical skills, correct indication, and accurate patient information.

Methods

The review aims to describe preoperative planning, patient selection, most common surgical techniques, and clinical results of trochleoplasty in patellar instability in a reproducible manner.

Results

Trochleoplasty can be considered a general term to describe a group of different procedures that reduce trochlear dysplasia’s impact on patellar instability, aiming to restore patella-trochlear congruency, remove the supratrochlear bump, allowed a new groove positioning and are generally associated with other procedures. Recent studies showed satisfactory long-term results with the restoration of patellar stability, improving radiological findings of patellofemoral instability.

Conclusion

Trochleoplasty is a technically demanding technique, requiring careful patient selection, detailed knowledge, and surgical skills to avoid severe complications. Good patient satisfaction with a low risk of significant complications such as patellofemoral arthritis has been revealed. In conclusion, trochleoplasty should be systematically included in the treatment of patellar dislocation, if indicated.

Level of evidence

V.

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This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1^ Clinica Ortopedica, ASST Centro Specialistico Ortopedico Traumatologico Gaetano Pini-CTO, Milan, Italy

    Paolo Ferrua, Riccardo Compagnoni, Filippo Calanna & Pietro Simone Randelli

  2. Laboratory of Applied Biomechanics, Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Università Degli Studi Di Milano, Piazza Cardinal Ferrari 1, 20122, Milan, Italy

    Pietro Simone Randelli

  3. Department of Orthopaedics, Lyon-Ortho-Clinic, Clinique de la Sauvegarde, Lyon, France

    David Dejour

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  1. Paolo Ferrua
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  2. Riccardo Compagnoni
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  5. David Dejour
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Correspondence to Filippo Calanna.

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Ferrua, P., Compagnoni, R., Calanna, F. et al. Good patient satisfaction with low complications rate after trochleoplasty in patellofemoral instability. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 30, 3444–3450 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-022-06954-z

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