Clinical and Radiologic Outcomes of the Surgical Treatment of Patellofemoral Instability in Children with Down Syndrome and Dislocated Patella: Case Series

We attended three skeletally immature patients with Down syndrome (DS) with complaints of severe patellofemoral instability and dislocated patella (preoperatively, Dugdale classification IV or V), in addition to low functional capacity, with falls during gait. The technique (lateral release, medial capsulectomy, reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) with the patellar ligament and associated techniques, and some knees) and results in three children with DS and bilaterally dislocated patella were revealed. Our minimum follow-up was 27 months and maximum was 105 months (average of 64 months). All children improved gait, patellar stability, Kujala (58.13%), and subjective IDKC (40.55%) scores and improved the congruence and the trochlea groove angles. The patellofemoral instability in children with DS is a challenge. We should use an arsenal of surgical techniques in this complex problem. We believe in early surgery to improve the formation of structures, especially in patients with gross instabilities and frequent falls. In all cases, we detected a weakness of medial components and lateral contracture, reconstructed the MPFL (we were the first researchers to describe this procedure for this group of patients), and performed a medial capsulectomy and lateral release. In some knees, intraoperatively, it was necessary to associate the reconstruction of the medial patellotibial ligament to improve instability. We consider fundamental analysis of the axis with panoramic radiographs and hemiepiphysiodes is in cases of asymmetric or severe valgus.