Infrapatellar plica as a cause of anterior knee pain

This study seeks to show that in the case of a patient not responding to nonoperative measures for the treatment of anterior knee pain, arthroscopic release of a symptomatic infrapatellar plica can successfully resolve the disability.

We report a retrospective study of 12 cases of anterior knee pain not responding to nonoperative treatment that underwent isolated infrapatellar plica resection without other noted knee pathology.

Patients were evaluated and treated in an outpatient orthopedic sports medicine clinic.

Any patient who presented with anterior knee pain, underwent subsequent arthroscopy, and was treated by isolated resection of the infrapatellar plica was included in the study.

The surgical procedure involved arthroscopic division of the infrapatellar plica at its attachment on the superior intercondylar notch of the femur.

Patients were reviewed at least 12 months following the date of surgery. Two subjective knee scales were used to assess knee function.

A subjective scale used in prior studies assessing symptomatic medial plica demonstrated 91% percent (11 of 12) excellent (6) or good (5) outcomes at follow-up greater than 1 year. The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores of knee function on the subscales of pain, symptoms, activities of daily living, sports activity, and quality of life were 97, 96, 99, 99, and 87, respectively.

These cases demonstrate a potential role for the infrapatellar plica as a cause of anterior knee pain. A prospective study is warranted to measure causality.