Patellar Realignment

Patellar realignment procedures are used to correct the way a kneecap moves through the groove on the front of the thigh bone in the patello-femoral joint. They may be performed for kneecap joint pain or for recurrent dislocation.

There are two common operations. In one the insertion of the patellar tendon is moved on it bony attachment (tibial tubercle osteotomy) and in the other the main inward restraint of the patella, the medial patellofemoral ligament, is reconstructed.

Older procedures including medial reefing, Goldthwaite-Roux procedure and lateral release are rarely, if ever, necessary.