Current concepts on trochleoplasty procedures for the surgical treatment of trochlear dysplasia

Abstract

Trochleoplasty is a surgical procedure, whose goal is to change the abnormal shape of the femoral trochlea in patients with recurrent patellar dislocation. Such surgeries that aim to reshape the articular surface of a bone without damaging it are quite unique in orthopaedic surgery. Although in the beginning, trochleoplasty was reserved for the refractory cases where previous surgery has failed, the last years it became more and more popular because of a better knowledge of anatomy and biomechanics and a greater availability of instruments. The roots of the deepening trochleoplasty could be found in the previous century when the first surgeons tried to directly remove the dysplastic bone with pioneer interventions but with devastating consequences. Since then, multiple procedures have been described and are analysed in this review; each one with its unique features, advantages and pitfalls. Regardless of the technique used, the very recent bibliography presents very encouraging results from the application of trochleoplasty with other procedures in a selected population with severe trochlear dysplasia and recurrent patellar dislocation, in whom the benign neglect of dysplasia would lead to unfavourable results.

Level of evidence: IV.