[Long-term follow-up of patients with patella resurfacing]

Patellar resurfacing was performed by the authors. From 1983 to 1988, 19 cases (22 knees) with patello-femoral osteoarthritis were treated with this procedure in our hospital. Excellent and good results were recorded in 13 cases (59.1%) one year after operation, but were zero in the long-term follow-up (average 8.7 years) because of recurrent knee pain due to the wearing of the cortex of the femoral groove. Further operation was necessary for those cases, such as patellectomy or total knee replacement. Since 1991 Y-L-Q's type of patellofemoral replacement has been used in 11 cases in our department to alter the isolated resurfacing of the patella. The femoral groove was replaced with a metallic implant that allows sliding of a polyethylene patella to prevent the wearing of the femoral cortex. Preliminary results are good.