Conservative treatment of patellar subluxation

There are different bone joints in the human body, which are particularly important to us. If there is a problem with the bone joints, it means that the patient may be affected in future movements. When patellar subluxation occurs, what everyone needs to pay attention to is the treatment method and the recovery issue. In addition, the symptoms and examinations also need to be clearly understood.

Injury pathology/patellar dislocation

Most patellar dislocations occur outward. After dislocation, the stable structures on the medial side of the patellofemoral joint, including the medial patellofemoral retinaculum, the medial vastus muscle, and the medial patellofemoral ligament are all torn, leading to intra-articular hematoma and synovitis of the knee joint. During the process of self-reduction, the medial side of the patella collides with the lateral side of the femoral condyle, causing cartilage damage or tangent fracture.

Main symptoms/patellar luxation

The patient feels sudden, severe pain in the knee joint and may feel dislocated or weak. The patella often repositions itself after the knee is straightened, and a "click" sound is often heard during the repositioning. Then the knee joint becomes swollen and painful. These symptoms can be confused with meniscus tears, but unlike meniscus tears, patients with patellar dislocation can clearly feel swelling and pain at the medial edge of the patellofemoral joint rather than the medial space of the knee joint.

Imaging/patellar luxation

Routine AP and lateral knee radiographs are necessary. A lateral radiograph with the knee flexed at 30 degrees can be taken to observe whether there is a high patella. An axial radiograph (Merchant position) or CT scan of the patella with the knee flexed at 30 or 45 degrees can reveal lateral subluxation of the patella. The most ideal examination method is magnetic resonance imaging, which can clearly show patellofemoral subluxation and knee joint effusion, and can also determine whether there is accompanying femoral condyle cartilage damage or other intra-articular structure damage.