Blog post from our board member Dr. Robert Bacci: Patellar dislocation treatment – Courtesy of Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy
SURGERY AND NONSURGICAL TREATMENTS LEAD TO SIMILAR OUTCOMES FOR PATIENTS WITH KNEE PAIN
As a specialist in the conservative treatment of kneecap dislocations, the information below is worth reading.
The knee is the largest and one of the most complex joints in the body. It is a hinge joint that’s responsible for bearing weight and allowing the leg to extend and bend back and forth with minimal side-to-side motion. It primarily joins the thighbone (femur) to the shinbone (tibia), but also includes the kneecap (patella) and other lower leg bone (fibula). The patella is a small, upside down triangle-shaped bone that sits in the front of the knee within the quadriceps muscle, and it’s lined with the thickest layer of cartilage in the body because of the massive forces it takes on.
These structures provide the knee with strength and durability, but the knee also has limits that can be exceeded under certain circumstances. Due to the frequent use of the joint, the knee is among the most common locations for pain and injury, with knee pain being the leading cause of disability in older adults.
Dislocations of the patella account for 2–3% of all knee injuries, which typically occur on the lateral side—outside of the knee—and leads to ruptures of the medial patellofemoral ligament in about 90% of all cases. These injuries are most common in sports, particularly basketball, soccer, and football.
It is unclear whether patellar dislocations should be treated with conservative (nonsurgical) interventions like physical therapy or if surgery is needed when there are other associated injuries. In addition, the literature comparing conservative to surgical treatment for first-time patellar dislocations is scarce.