Using an iliotibial tract for patellar dislocation in children

Nguyen Ngoc Hung1

  • 1Pediatric Orthopaedic, National Hospital For Pediatrics, 18/879 Lathanh Road, Hanoi, Vietnam, ngocyenhung@gmail.com.

Insights

Surgical treatment for pediatric patellar dislocation, often caused by antibiotic injections, shows high success rates. Procedures like retinacular release and quadricepsplasty effectively restore knee function with no recurrences reported.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Orthopedics
  • Surgical Techniques
  • Musculoskeletal Disorders

Background:

  • Patellar dislocation in children can result from intramuscular antibiotic injections.
  • Accurate classification of patellar dislocation is crucial for treatment planning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the clinical and functional outcomes of surgical interventions for pediatric patellar dislocation.
  • To assess the efficacy of specific surgical techniques in treating this condition.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective study included 74 pediatric patients (76 knees) with patellar dislocation post-injection.
  • Surgical techniques involved iliotibial tract release, lateral retinacular release, medial retinaculum tension restoration, and quadricepsplasty.
  • Patients were classified using Bensahel's criteria, with pre-operative clinical and radiographic assessments.

Main Results:

  • The study included 74 patients (9 males, 65 females) with 76 affected knees.
  • 56 knees (73.7%) were type 1 and 20 knees (26.3%) were type 2 according to Bensahel's classification.
  • Excellent results were achieved in 73.7% of cases, good results in 22.4%, and fair results in 3.9%, with no reported poor outcomes or recurrences.

Conclusions:

  • Surgical management involving iliotibial tract release, lateral retinacular release, medial retinaculum tension restoration, and quadricepsplasty is highly successful.
  • This surgical approach is demonstrated to be simple, safe, and effective for skeletally immature children with patellar dislocation.
Abstract