Patellofemoral Instability in the Skeletally Immature Patient: A Review and Technical Description of Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction in Patients with Open Physes

Patellofemoral instability commonly occurs in the young patient, and, often, skeletal immaturity may be a risk factor for possible recurrence. Treatment considerations, including operative and nonoperative management, are based on anatomic factors. A medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction is a treatment option for a skeletally immature patient with recurrent instability or for patients with a high risk of patellofemoral instability recurrence. A physeal-sparing MPFL reconstruction technique that considers the origin of the MPFL to be distal to the distal femoral physis may be employed.