Patella Malalignment

About The Patella

The patella or ‘kneecap’ is a convex bone normally positioned at the center of the knee within a concave groove of the distal femur called the trochlea. With flexion and extension of the knee the patella is designed to glide within the trochlea groove and remain centered. Patella malalignment is a condition wherebye the patella does not centrally align within the trochlea. This is often present as a result of congenital malalignment but can also develop or be made symptomatic by associated muscle imbalances which can develop over time. Symptoms related to patella malalignment include anterior knee pain, intermittent knee swelling, knee crackling, knee buckling and occasionally patella dislocation.

The Procedure

At Regional Orthopedics patella malalignment can often be treated with a combination of bracing and exercises to correct muscle imbalances. In some cases where the malalignment is severe or the knee has not responded to physical rehabilitation , surgical correction of the alignment is necessary. At Regional Orthopedics this is typically performed as an outpatient procedure utilizing arthroscopy and/ or mini-arthrotomy. Soft tissue and skeletal imbalances are corrected. Recovery time to normal activities is variable depending on the extent of the procedure required.