title: Surgical treatment of recurrent subluxation of the patella in athletes.
abstract: The authors describe the results obtained in fifteen athletes suffering from recurrent monolateral subluxation of the patella by a new technique which should represent a considerable improvement over existing methods, both in surgical and rehabilitation phases. The treatment consists of: a) a surgical stage comprising extensive lateral mobilisation by section of the lateral capsule and the external alar ligament, extensive manual detachment of the vastus lateralis muscle, and osteotomy performed obliquely to the frontal plane with antero-medial transposition of the tibial tuberosity to realign the extensor apparatus; b) a post-operative stage characterised by immediate mobilisation of the knee without the application of a plaster cast. The aim of this method is to eliminate above all the instability caused by recurrent subluxation of the patella, to cancel out any abnormal stress exerted on the femoral condyle by the patella, to normalize the extensor apparatus, to bring about the regression of any incipient chondromalacic lesions, and to prevent femoro-patellar arthrosis by restoring the anatomical and functional equilibrium of the femoro-patellar joint. The clinical and radiographic results determined by follow up examinations performed between one year and two and a half years after the operation were so satisfactory that the authors extended the method to recurrent subluxations in non-athletes.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D010329:Patella / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D011859:Radiography