PATELLA INSTABILITY SURGERY

Pertinent Anatomy

The tendon of the quadriceps muscles attaches to the top of the patella (knee cap) and envelopes it. The patella tendon runs from the patella and attaches to the tibia at a point called the tibia tubercle. The main function of the patella is to centralize the forces of the quadriceps tendon, much like a rope running in a pulley. The groove over the front of the knee that the patella moves in is called the trochlea. A shallow groove (so-called trochlea dysplasia) can predispose to patella dislocation. The medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) is another very important structure in providing stability to the patella.

Charles Bouwer, 2012 Olympic swimming gold medallist, had an MPFL reconstruction and tibial tubercle osteotomy in 2010.

Charles Bouwer, 2012 Olympic swimming gold medallist, had a MPFL and tibial tubercle osteotomy in 2010.
Charles Bouwer