Medial Soft-Tissue Realignment Versus Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction for Recurrent Patellar Dislocation: Systematic Review

Purpose To compare the clinical outcomes between medial soft-tissue surgery and medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction for recurrent patellar dislocation without any evident predisposing factors. Methods A literature search was performed on the established medical databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane register. The inclusion criteria were as follows: English-language papers for recurrent patellar dislocation without any evident predisposing factors, clinical trial(s) with clear description of surgical technique, adult subjects, medial soft-tissue surgery or MPFL reconstruction without combined surgery, and a follow-up longer than 2 years. The methodological quality of all articles was assessed by 2 authors according to the Coleman methodology score. Results Thirteen studies (mean Coleman methodology score value, 74.1; standard deviation, 11.5) were included in the analysis. Five studies reported the outcomes of patients undergoing medial soft-tissue surgery, compared with 7 studies reporting MPFL reconstruction. Overall, 109 patients underwent medial soft-tissue surgery with a minimum 2-years follow-up, compared with 308 patients of MPFL reconstruction. There was one direct comparative study between medial soft-tissue surgery and MPFL reconstruction. Of the patients who received medial soft-tissue surgery, 0 to 9.7% experienced redislocation, compared with 0 to 10.7% of the MPFL reconstruction group. The ranges of differences in Kujala scores were 23.6 to 31.7 points in patients who underwent medial soft-tissue surgery and 23.11 to 38.8 points in patients who underwent MPFL reconstruction. The ranges of postoperative congruence angles were −14.4° to 8.2° for medial soft-tissue surgery and −7.7° to −5.2° for MPFL reconstruction. The ranges of postoperative lateral patellofemoral angles were 7.9° to 9.4° for medial soft-tissue surgery and 5° to 5.3° for MPFL reconstruction. Conclusions All studies on medial soft-tissue surgery and MPFL reconstruction for recurrent patellar dislocation without predisposing factors showed satisfactory outcomes despite the use of numerous surgical techniques, graft types, and follow-up periods. Level of Evidence Level IV, Systematic Review.