Surgical Treatment for Congenital Dislocation of the Patella in a Young Adult: A Case Report.

CASE: We present an 18-year-old man with poor alignment of the lower limbs, marked by congenital dislocation of the left patella, with gait impairment, and an associated 20° flexion contracture. Surgical treatment was performed with a single complex procedure with the release of the lateral retinaculum, capsule, and iliotibial tract, followed by a subtraction trochleoplasty, tibial tubercle transfer, elongation of the quadriceps tendon, and anatomical reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament. At the 5-year follow-up, the patient had a significant improvement in gait pattern, with the patella centered on the new trochlear groove without any signs of patellar instability.

CONCLUSIONS

The approach of congenital dislocation of the patella is controversial, and although numerous procedures have been described in children, the approach in adults should be individually tailored. In this case, trochlear deepening and preserving the trochlear cartilage proved to be an effective option for treating a congenital dislocation.