Congenital dislocation of the patella

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Pediatric Orthopedics
• Surgical Innovation

Background:

• Congenital dislocation of the patella presents at birth with knee flexion contracture, genu valgus, tibial torsion, and foot deformities.
• This condition is often irreducible manually and requires specialized surgical management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the operative treatment outcomes for congenital dislocation of the patella.
• To identify factors influencing successful surgical correction in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of seven knees in six patients diagnosed with congenital patellar dislocation.
• Surgical intervention involved lateral release, medial plication, quadriceps V-Y lengthening, medial patellar tendon transfer, and posterior knee release.
• Pre-operative serial casting or bracing was utilized in some cases.

Main Results:

• Post-operative patellar centering was achieved in all cases.
• Significant improvement in genu valgus and external tibial torsion was observed.
• Knee mobility was restored with minimal residual flexion contracture (<10 degrees) in all patients.

Conclusions:

• Congenital dislocation of the patella should be suspected in infants with characteristic deformities.
• Early surgical intervention in younger children leads to successful outcomes.
• Additional procedures may be necessary for older children to ensure stability.