Knee cap forms an essential part of the joint kinematics while doing any activity related to the knee. Patello-femoral articulation forms an indispensible part of knee joint.

Dislocation of the patella is not an uncommon diagnosis and seen in athletes involved in collision sports and sports demanding exceptional flexibility. Patella is connected to the thigh bone with help of a soft tissue slip which is a anatomical modification of the joint capsule. This is called the medial patello-femoral ligament.

In cases where there is an associated traumatic event or a impact injury to the medial side of the knee, this ligament suffers damage and leads to insufficency. This leads to loss of check-reign mechanism and further predisposes to recurrent patellar instability.

The patients who are predisposed to these injuries include ones with abnormal foot and ankle bio-mechanics and an abnormal angle between the mechanical and anatomical axis of weight bearing. This is popularly known as the Q angle. Cases with reccurent dislocation of patella need a complete evaluation of the basic cause of failure of ligament other than the inciting traumatic event.

Surgical procedure after a failure of conservative treatment is the mainstay of treatment. Physiotherapy and rehabilitation using exercises and using a brace form the first line of treatment in cases of fresh disocation. Most patients do well with conservative treatment but a few also require surgical procedure for preventing recurrence of symptoms.

For any queries, please feel free to consult our orthopedic team at Arthrocenter.