Patellofemoral & Biological Repair

Patellofemoral Stabilisation

The first time a person experiences a dislocation of the knee cap (patella ), it is a major injury for that person. The patella will often spontaneously reduce when being moved or transported to the emergency department for treatment, or may require some sedation in the emergency department to allow a doctor to reduce your knee. Unfortunately, this is often not the only time is will dislocate. In fact, over 50% of first time dislocaters will have a further dislocation. This can result in repeated trauma and injury to the underlying joint surfaces, and insecurity in the knee. In this situation it may be recommended to have surgery to stabilise your knee, to prevent further dislocations. Treatment of dislocation will require a co-ordinated approach with physiotherapy and surgery combined to prevent recurrences.

The anatomy of each knee, and the reasons for the dislocation will be unique to each patient. Mr Richardson will assess your knee and determine what he believes will be the best approach to solve your problem.

Biological Resurfacing

A lot of information is around these days regarding the possibility of growing new cartilage when a persons suffers pain from arthritis or trauma. It can be considered the “holy Grail” in treating joint disease where-by a new surface is grown to replace a damaged one.

It is certainly possible to repair focal areas of cartilage loss with cultured cells, however the enviroment must be appropriate for this to work. The area to be grafted must be contained or localised. The joint must not be deformed or restricted in its range of movement. The joint must be stable with all ligaments intact, or reconstructable. And the mechanical alignment of the knee must be favourable for the grafted tissue to incorporate. The procedure is generally not suitable for generalised arthritic conditions.

The decision to undertake a resurfacing procedure can be difficult. Mr Richardson will need to assess your knee completely and discuss with you the risk and benefits of a biological resurfacing, and other options available before deciding with you if the procedure is appropriate for you.

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