Tibial tubercle advancement by the Maquet technique for patellofemoral arthritis or chondromalacia

The authors report 19 operations according to the Maquet technique for patellofemoral arthritis or chondromalacia between 1977 and 1984. The same procedure and technique were used in all cases but the results were better in chondromalacia which were good in 64% of the cases compared with 38% in arthritis. After discussing the problems of clinical and radiographic evaluation, the authors conclude that after a long period of rehabilitation satisfactory results are obtained in chondromalacia, while only limited success is achieved in arthritis.