A patient with patellar instability frequently presents with anterior knee pain, patellar subluxation, or dislocation. Medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) has a key role for normal patella tracking and stability. Reconstruction of the MPFL using a hamstring graft is a commonly used procedure for the treatment of chronic lateral subluxation of patella. Anchor sutures and bony tunnels are used for the patellar attachment of the graft. This can be associated with complications such as patella fracture; besides, it does not produce an anatomical reconstruction for the native MPFL that can alter the direction of tension applied on the patella. To overcome these problems, a soft-tissue loop technique is used for MPFL reconstruction. During this procedure, a semitendinosus graft was passed through the prepatellar extensor retinaculum and secured with sutures. The free ends of the graft were then passed between the second and third layers of the medial patellofemoral retinaculum and fixed to a femoral tunnel on the medial femoral condyle with an interference screw. The desired amount of tension on the graft is achieved under direct vision of patella tracking arthroscopically. We found this method to be relatively safe and fast. It is more anatomical and can avoid the complications during the conventional bony procedures.
Osteochondral fracture of the patella is a common concomitant injury of the knee, especially in lateral patellar instability, and the importance of early stable fixation with minimal complication and early mobilization should be emphasized. Screws and Kirschner wires both absorbable and nonabsorbable have been the common mode of fixation of these fractures. Nevertheless, these fixation techniques require larger osteochondral fragments and are associated with cartilage abrasion, hardware prominence, synovitis, and foreign body reaction. In contrast, suture fixation can adequately stabilize smaller osteochondral fragments without comminution and prevent some of the possible complications of other techniques of fixation. We created 4 holes in a rectangular pattern on the patella oriented perpendicular to its anteroposterior surface. We used readily available, and affordable, no. 2 Ultrabraid sutures inserted into the holes and looped around the osteochondral fragment, compressing it to the patella. The technique is very simple and is relatively easy to learn. It provides secure fixation and allows early mobilization. And it spares the knee from subsequent surgical procedure for removal of metallic implants.