Primary patellar dislocations without surgical stabilization or recurrence: how well are these patients really doing?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Sports Medicine
• Knee Surgery

Background:

• Research on primary patellar dislocation often focuses on recurrence risk.
• Outcomes for patients without recurrent dislocations are less understood.
• Patellar instability impacts knee function and quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term outcomes of patients with primary lateral patellar dislocations who did not experience recurrent dislocations.
• To compare patient-reported outcomes between those with and without recurrent dislocations.
• To assess return to sport and activity levels post-injury.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 111 patients with nonoperatively treated primary lateral patellar dislocations.
• Patient follow-up at a mean of 3.4 years post-injury.
• Collection of data on subsequent treatments, recurrent dislocations, and patient-reported outcomes using the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS).

Main Results:

• No significant differences in KOOS subscales (symptoms, pain, ADL, sport, QOL) were found between patients with and without recurrent dislocations.
• Only 26.4% of patients without recurrent dislocations returned to their desired sport activities without limitations.
• Mean KOOS scores indicated limitations in symptoms, pain, sport, and quality of life at follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Patients without recurrent patellar dislocations still face significant functional limitations 3 years after the initial injury.
• Nonoperative treatment of primary patellar dislocations can lead to persistent deficits impacting quality of life and sport participation.
• Further research is needed to optimize management strategies for these patients.