This document discusses patellar instability, including relevant anatomy, predisposing factors, clinical features, radiological evaluation, and management. It begins with an introduction classifying patellar instability as acute, recurrent, or habitual. Relevant anatomy includes the patella, trochlea, and static and dynamic stabilizers of the patellofemoral joint. Risk factors include ligamentous laxity, alignment issues, and anatomical factors like patella alta or trochlear dysplasia. Clinical exams and radiological tests are used to evaluate patients. Management involves conservative treatments like bracing and physical therapy or surgical options like lateral release, MPFL reconstruction, and realignment procedures depending on the individual case.
3. Introduction
• Patellar dislocation accounts for 3% of all knee injuries.
• Female adolescents
• Recurrence rates
• After 1st dislocation-17%, with dysplasia -60%
• After 2nd dislocation -50%
•Mainly lateral, medial typically iatrogenic
4. • Acute
• Single episode after a significant trauma
• Almost always lateral
• Recurrent
• Repeated occasional dislocations
• Occurs at intervals of week or months
• Habitual
• Patella dislocates every time knee is flexed
• Patella cannot be held in position throughout full ROM
Classification
14. Symptoms
•Pain around knee aggravated on walking uphill/downhill or stairs
•Feeling of insecurity and knee cap giving away
•Patellar crepitation
•Knee swelling
15. Examination
•Patellar height in seated position :
high/low riding patella
•Dynamic Patellar tracking
• Positive J sign with knee extension-
indicates patellar maltracking
•Active patellar tracking
16. •Measure Q-angle
•Patellar grind test
• Pressure over patella
• Displace it medially, laterally,
superiorly and inferiorly in the
trochlear groove
• Positive test: Anterior knee pain
with a pathologic condition of
patellofemoral joint
Examination
17. Examination
•Fairbanks apprehension test
•Patellar tilt test
• Knee in 20 degree flexion
• Inability to raise the patella with
thumb and finger to the horizontal
plane or slightly past indicates
excessive lateral retinacular
tightness
18. Examination
•Patellar Glide Test
• Patella is divided into 4 longitudinal
quadrants
• Patella is displaced medially
• Medial translation of one quadrant or
less is suggestive of excessive
retinaculum tight ness
36. Treatment
Aim :
•Decrease swelling and relieve pain
•Promote vastus medialis and and gluteal activity
•Painfree ROM
•Address the pathoanatomy causing dislocation
Conservative/Operative
37. Treatment: Acute Dislocation
Conservative:
• Immobilisation- Controversial
• Aspiration of hemarthrosis
• Ice comepression intermittently
• Quadriceps and gluteal exercises
• Crutches discontinued and able to bear weight and walk after 3-5 days
• Rehabilitation continued and return to sports activity once 85% quads and
hams strength attained
38. •Surgery indicated for:
• Associated large osteochondral fractures
• Loose body or joint incongurity
• Competitive athletes with high level activity
•MPFL repair vs reconstruction + VMO repair
Treatment: Acute Dislocation
40. Surgery
•Failed conservative management in
•active, surgically fit individuals
•Surgery needed to prevent joint deterioration
Treatment: Recurrent Dislocations
41. •No single universal surgical procedure
•Choice of surgery depends upon
• Pathological anatomy
• Patient demand
• Skeletal maturity
•Arthroscopic inspection of articular surface and intra-articular structures
Surgical treatment
43. Lateral release
•Indication :
• Negative patellar tilt
• Less than one quadrant medial patellar glide
•Open/Arthroscopic
•Never done alone, always combined with some other procedure
49. Proximal Realignment Procedures
•Usually done for skeletally immature
individuals
•Lateral retinaculum and capsule released
•Quadriceps tendon split and sutured to
patella
Insall Procedure
54. Derotational high tibial osteotomy
•For condtions with high degree of rotational deformity
•Thigh foot angle > 30 degrees or tubercle sulcus angle >10 degrees
57. What’s New?
Seitlinger G, et al, Tibial tubercle-posterior cruciate ligament distance: a new measurement to define the position of the tibial
tubercle in patients with patellar dislocation. Am J Sports Med. 2012 May;40(5):1119-25.
58. Take Home Message
Patellar instability occurs due to inequality in tension between medial and lateral
structures.
MPFL reconstruction is the key procedure for restoring medial tensio,.
Lateral forces can be offloaded by shifting tibial tubercle medially and anteriorly.
Trochleoplasty is reserved for those with severe dysplasia
59. REFERENCES :
Campbell’s Operative Orthopaedics , 13th Edition
Apley and Solomon’s System of Orthopaedics , 10th Edition
Dejour, D.H., Mesnard, G. & Giovannetti de Sanctis, E. Updated treatment guidelines
for patellar instability: “un menu à la carte”. J EXP ORTOP 8, 109 (2021).
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40634-021-00430-2
Goyal D. Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction: The Superficial Quad
Technique. The American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2013;41(5):1022-1029.
doi:10.1177/0363546513477828
Divided into smaller medial and larger articular surface or facet
Medial and lateral facets each further divided into 3 – superior, middle and inferior and a 7th the most medial known as odd facet
The primary function of the vastus medialis obliquus muscle is to stabilizethe patella against the lateral pull of the vastus lateralis,making the vastus medialis obliquus the dynamic stabilizer of the patella.
The primary function of the vastus medialis obliquus muscle is to stabilizethe patella against the lateral pull of the vastus lateralis,making the vastus medialis obliquus the dynamic stabilizer of the patella.
Extension- only the lateral facet articulates with the lateral femoral condyle 45 degree, contact moves proximally to the midpoint of articular surface
Complete flexion, proximal portions of both facets in contact with femur
Total excursion 7-8 cm during flexion- extension
Intersection of line drawn from asis to centre of patella and another from centre of patella to tibial tuberosity
Knee flexed 30degree
Wiberg I roughly equal medial and lateral facets\
II medial facet half the size of lateral, m/c
III medial facet is so far medial that the vertical ridge is rarely visible
Genu valgus
Increased femoral anteversion
External tibial torsion
Lateralisation of tt
Dynamic patellar tracking is evaluated with the examiner standing in front of the seated patient while the patient slowly extends the knee. A positive J sign
(slight lateral subluxation of the patella as the knee approachesfull extension) indicates some degree of maltracking
Measure q angle at supine and at 30 degree knee flexion
For the “apprehension test,” the examiner holds the relaxed knee in 20 to 30 degrees of flexion and manually subluxes the patella laterally. When the test is positive, the patient suddenly complains of pain and resists any further lateral motion of the patella (Fig. 47-2)
For the “apprehension test,” the examiner holds the relaxed knee in 20 to 30 degrees of flexion and manually subluxes the patella laterally. When the test is positive, the patient suddenly complains of pain and resists any further lateral motion of the patella (Fig. 47-2)
Total score 9
Score of 4 or more is suggestive of generalized hyperlaxity
The foot progression angle (FPA) is defined as the angle between the line from the calcaneous to the second metatarsal and the line of progression averaged from heel strike to toe off during the stance phase of walking for each step (toe-in angle is positive and toe-out angle is negative).
Bipartite patella
Osteochondral defects
Line along the roof of intecondylar notch should lie along the inferior pole of patella in 30 degree knee flexion
Insall and Salvati found that the length of the patellar tendon (LT) and the diagonal length of the patella (LP) had a ratio of 1.0 (Fig. 47-4), with less than 20% variation.
Ratio between articular facet length of patella (AP) and distance between articular facet of patella and anterior corner of superior tibial epiphysis (AT). Knee flexed 30 degrees.
Blackburne and Peel described a similar ratio of the length of the articular surface of the patella to that of the length measured from the articular surface of the tibia to the inferior pole of the patella. They suggested that these landmarks can be seen and reproduced more easily on radiographs. Normal ratios with this measurement were between 0.54 and 1.06.
When the axial view has been obtained, the shape of the patella should be evaluated, along with the shape of the femoral trochlea and the relationship of the patella to the femur. Normally, the patella appears evenly seated within the trochlear groove of the femur, with an equal distance betweenboth patellar facets and the adjacent femoral surfaces. Abnormalities include tilting of the patella or subluxation and complete dislocation of the patella (Fig. 47-8). The trochlea is evaluated on the Merchant view for dysplasia, sulcus angle greater than 145 degrees, and congruence, normally 60―
Angle formed by intersection of the tangent of the posterior condyles and the major axis of the patella on 20-degree flexion scan
Bicondylar line along the posterior femoral condyles, two line perpendicular to it, one through the trochlear groove and the other through the tibial tuberosity
Angle formed by intersection of the tangent of the posterior condyles and the major axis of the patella on 20-degree flexion scan
The trochlear depth measurement is performed on a true lateral radiograph view. A tangent to the posterior femoral cortex (red line) and a perpendicular line at the most proximal part of the posterior condyles (blue line) are drawn. A (yellow) line subtended 15° from the perpendicular line is now used to measure the trochlea depth (AB length).
MRI: The method introduced by Pfirrmann measures the distance of the trochlear groove and the medial and lateral trochlear facets to a tangential line of both femoral condyles. To calculate trochlear depth the distance from the trochlear groove from the before mentioned tangent is subtracted from the average of the two distances between the medial and lateral facet and that tangent 2. The measurement was conducted at different levels above the knee joint and found most useful at 3 cm above the joint line.
crossing sign is present on true lateral view; trochlea is shallower than normal, but still symmetric and concave The crossing sign is seen on true lateral plain radiographs of the knee when the line of the trochlear groove crosses the anterior border of one of the condyle trochlea.
crossing sign and trochlear spur; trochlea is flat or convex in axial
images.
Type C: crossing sign plus double-contour sign representing sclerosis of the subchondral bone of the medial hypoplastic facet; on axial CT views, lateral facet is convex
Type D: combination of all signs—crossing sign, supratrochlear spur, and doublecontour sign; cliff pattern on axial CT views..
Immobilise in a brace with jones compressive bandaging
Aspiration of hemarthrosis sterile, if causing significant pain and tightness
Quadriceps set exercises and straight leg raises
Ice comepression intermittently
Crutches discontinued and able to bear weight and walk after 3-5 days
Rehabilitation continued and return to sports activity once 85% quads and hams strength attained
Abnormal patellofermoral articulation
Abnormal quadriceps pull/mechanism
Chondromalacia of patella
Osteochondral fractures/fragments
Menisceal tear and degeneration
All contribute to progressive deterioration of knee joint
effective lateral release must include release of the retinaculum from the distal third of the vastus lateralis femoral and patellotibial ligaments. Most procedures for patellar realignment include release of the thickened and contracted lateral retinaculum when it prevents centering
Schottle and colleagues’ radiographic landmark
for femoral tunnel placement in medial patellofemoral ligament
reconstruction. Two perpendicular lines to line 1 are drawn,
intersecting the contact point of the medial condyle and posterior
cortex (point 1, line 2) and intersecting the most posterior point
of the Blumensaat line (point 2, line 3). For determination of
vertical position, distance between line 2 and the lead ball center
is measured as is the distance between line 2 and line 3.
Arthroscopically examine the knee through standard medial and lateral portals to evaluate patellar tracking and look for intraarticular damage and evaluate patellar tracking. This evaluation is essential for determining appropriate treatment.
Make a 3-cm incision 3 cm medial to the inferior portion of the patellar tuberosity and harvest the semitendinosus tendon in standard fashion. Size the folded graft so that the appropriately sized tunnel can be reamed later. Place a 0 Vicryl Krakow suture in each tail of the semitendinosus
Make two 2-cm incisions, the first just medial to the superior border of the patella and the second starting at the adductor tubercle and extending just distal to the medial epicondyle of the femur, to expose the patellofemoral ligament. Stay between the MPFL and the capsule and stay extrasynovial to pass the looped sutured graft into the soft tissue tunnel
Graft anchored to the patella with help of suture anchors
Pull the graft taut, and stress the patella so as to allow
for one to two quadrants of lateral passive glide. When
the physiologic amount of tension on the graft is
determined, make a mark on the graft, which will correspond
to the aperture of the femoral tunnel
Place absorbable whip sutures in the tails of the graft (Fig.
47-15D), place them into the tip of a Beath pin, and pull
them out laterally (Fig. 47-15E
First described by Steensen et al and Albright et al independently in 2005 and 2006 respectively.
Revived by Deepak goyal in
As in fig C oblique osteotomy from antermoedial to posterolateral direction can lift the tuberosity
Stress risers and sterss fractures
Hence not suitable for athletes and suitable for those with high grade chondromalacia and degenerative changes