Orthopedics Today reports on the findings of an HSS study by Joseph Nguyen, MPH, researcher at HSS, which demonstrated similar outcomes and recurrence rates in skeletally immature and mature patients who underwent medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction for recurrent lateral patellar instability.

From March 2014 to July 2018, Dr. Nguyen and colleagues analyzed 107 patients (25 skeletally immature patients and 82 skeletally mature patients) who underwent isolated MPFL reconstruction. Researchers compared return-to-sport rates and re-dislocation episodes. They also compared outcomes between standard, adult graft placement and graft placement distal to the physis, which avoids the growth plate, in a strictly pediatric cohort.

“Over 90 percent of patients were able to return to sport in both groups, with a high percentage of patients in both groups returning at the same or an even higher level of activity,” said Dr. Nguyen. “In the sub-analysis of skeletally immature patients, no differences were found in any outcomes between patients with standard graft placement vs. those with distal graft placement,” he added.

Dr. Nguyen noted, “Successful outcomes can be achieved in skeletally immature patients following MPFL reconstruction, or over these outcomes are aligned with outcomes in the skeletally mature patients,” concluding, “Future studies with larger populations are needed to further investigate if any morphological differences impact patient outcomes, and additional studies are needed to study the impact of graft placement on the younger population.”

Read the full article at Healio.com/news/orthopedics.