Background: There are several surgical options for recurrent lateral dislocations of the patella. As the reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction (MPFL) has been proven to restore stability, it has become more accepted by surgeons. No study to date has examined the difference in clinical outcome between patients with a primary MPFL reconstruction (group 1) versus MPFL reconstruction in patients with a previously failed patellar stabilizing operations (transposition of tibial tuberosity, trochleoplasty, medial raphy) (group 2).

Study type: Prospective cohort study

Methods: 30 patients have been treated with an MPFL reconstruction for episodic patellar dislocation between april 2007 and april 2008. 12 of them already had a patellar stabilizing operation in the history (group 2). The clinical follow up was done by the KOOS and KUJULA scores.

Results: For both groups, the KOOS and KUJALA score increased significantly at final follow-up. KOOS pain and ADL subscore had the lowest increase. At final follow-up, the KUJALA and KOOS score were significantly higher for group 1 vs group 2. The net gain for both KOOS and KUJALA was also significantly higher in group 1 compared to group 2.

Conclusions: MPFL reconstruction is a viable treatment option for episodic patellar dislocation both in a primary setting as well as in a secondary setting for failed surgery cases. The net clinical gain is nevertheless significantly higher in primary cases.