Minimally invasive reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament using quadriceps tendon

Reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) for the treatment of patellar instability has received increased attention over the past few years. Most operative techniques use hamstring grafts fixed with bone tunnels and/or anchors on the patella. Despite good clinical results using these techniques, complications such as implant breakage, patellar fractures through bone tunnels, and loss of knee motion have occurred. We present a minimally invasive technique for MPFL reconstruction using a strip of quadriceps tendon. With the use of specially designed instruments, the graft is harvested through a 3-cm transverse incision at the proximal pole of the patella. The tendon strip is then dissected distally on the patella, left attached, and diverged 90° medially underneath the medial prepatellar tissue. The graft is fixed on the femur in 20° of knee flexion in a bone tunnel with a bioabsorbable interference screw (adults) or a bone anchor (children). We think that this technique presents a valuable alternative to common hamstring techniques for primary MPFL reconstruction in children and adults, as well as for MPFL revision surgery.