The results of patellar stabilization surgery are excellent in terms of preventing re-dislocation of the patella.

Possible complications

1. Infection: This is a risk with any operation; however it is extremely unlikely with this kind of surgery.
2. Scarring: Any tendency to keloid formation must be reported before surgery as we can take certain precautions to decrease the chance of this happening.
3. Redislocation: Typically only occurs as a result of a severe direct blow to the inside of the knee cap.
4. Extensor lag (inability to fully straighten the knee): This is usually present in the initial post-operative period due to weakness of the quadriceps muscle after the operation. It then gradually improves as you proceed with your rehab program. It can however be due to the graft being too tight. This would then require a subsequent small operation to partially release the reconstructed MPFL without compromising stability.
5. Later development of patella-femoral arthritis: This is linked to the amount of damage in the knee cap joint prior to surgery.

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