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Isolated lateral release or lateral lengthening for non-instability indications: A systematic review
Cailan L Feingold1, Eric H Lin1, Andrew B Barcenas1
1Keck School of Medicine of USC, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Journal of Orthopaedics
|February 20, 2026
Summary
Isolated lateral release and lengthening offer effective knee pain management for conditions like lateral patellar compression syndrome. These procedures improve patient outcomes, though medial patellar instability is a potential complication, particularly with lateral release.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Knee Biomechanics
- Sports Medicine
Background:
- Isolated lateral release (LR) and lateral lengthening (LL) are surgical techniques used in knee procedures.
- Their specific indications for non-instability knee pain remain incompletely defined.
- This study evaluates the efficacy of these isolated procedures for non-instability knee conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effectiveness of isolated lateral release and lateral lengthening for knee pain without instability.
- To clarify the indications for these procedures in non-instability knee management.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science.
- Studies published in English peer-reviewed journals from 2000 onwards, focusing on isolated LR or LL for non-patellofemoral instability knee indications, were included.
- Exclusion criteria included studies on patellofemoral instability, total knee arthroplasty, systematic reviews, biomechanical studies, and case reports.
Main Results:
- Seven studies involving 404 patients were analyzed.
- Procedures were investigated for lateral patellar compression syndrome, anterior knee pain, patellofemoral arthritis, and arthrofibrosis.
- All studies reported significant improvements in patient-reported outcome measures and clinical outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Isolated lateral release and lateral lengthening are effective for managing lateral patellar compression syndrome, anterior knee pain, and postoperative arthrofibrosis.
- These interventions lead to improved patient-reported outcomes.
- Medial patellar instability is a potential complication, more so with lateral release alone.
Keywords:
Iatrogenic medial patellar instabilityLateral lengtheningLateral patellar compression syndromeLateral releaseMore Related Videos
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