Combination surgery for the treatment of habitual patellar dislocation in adolescents

Abstract Objective The combination of lateral soft tissue release, medial soft tissue contraction, vastus medialis anterior placement, medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction, and rectus femoris insertion reconstruction are introduced in the treatment of habitual patellar dislocation in adolescents. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 12 patients (17 knees) with habitual patellar dislocation and unclosed epiphyses who underwent surgical treatment at the First Hospital of Jilin University from May 2017 to November 2021. The Lysholm scores and Q angle were collected pre-operatively and at final follow-up and were compared. Results 12 patients (4 boys and 8 girls) aged 10–15 years were retrospectively analysed, who followed up for an average of 21 months (5–48 months). The range of motion of the knee joint returned to normal in all patients, and no cases of complications including surgical site infection, joint stiffness, or patellar re-dislocation occurred. The mean Lysholm scores and Q angles improved from 73.9, 19.6° preoperatively to 91.7, 13.9° at the final follow-up, respectively. Conclusion The preliminary effect of the combination surgery for habitual patellar dislocation in adolescents was satisfactory.