Short-Term Outcomes of Concomitant Patellofemoral Arthroplasty and Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction to Treat Concurrent Patellofemoral Arthritis and Patellar Instability.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of combined patellofemoral arthroplasty (PFA) and medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction in patients with patellofemoral arthritis in the setting of concomitant patellar instability. Patients who underwent single-stage, combined PFA and MPFL reconstruction by a single surgeon at a tertiary-care orthopaedic center between 2016 and 2021 were identified. Postoperative radiographic and clinical outcomes at a minimum of 6 months were recorded using patient-reported outcome measures, including International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Kujala, and VR-12. Early complications and rates of recurrent instability were also recorded. Of the 16 patients who met inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 patients were available for final follow-up (81%; 51.7 ± 7.2 years, 11 females, 2 males) with a mean clinical follow-up of 1.3 ± 0.5 years (range: 0.5-2.3 years). Patients experienced significant improvements in patellar tilt and multiple patient-reported outcome metrics postoperatively, including IKDC, Kujala, VR-12 Mental Health, and VR-12 Physical Health. At the time of the most recent follow-up, no patient had experienced a postoperative dislocation or subluxation event. The findings suggest that concurrent PFA and MPFL reconstruction are associated with significant improvements in multiple patient-reported outcomes. Further studies are needed to evaluate the duration of clinical benefits achieved with this combined intervention.