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Abstract
Lateral patellar dislocation: key statistical data
published in May - June 2018 - in Il Fisioterapista - issue n.3
Massimo Bitocchi

Introduction: Acute lateral patella dislocations are a common injury pattern seen in younger and athletic individuals. Often they occur as a result of injuries during sports from a traumatic event but they can sometimes result from minor injuries in patients with a history of lateral patella instability. The incidence of acute lateral patella dislocations accounts for 2–3% of all knee injuries. In the setting of an acute patellar dislocation, most authors would suggest nonsurgical treatment for first-time dislocations. Exceptions include osteochondral fracture, substantial disruption of the medial patellar stabilizers, a laterally subluxed patella with normal alignment of the contralateral patella, a second dislocation, or a patient who is not improving despite appropriate rehabilitation.
Method: To this end, we searched the current literature for relevant studies, without over employing a specific methodological criterion for identifying and analyzing the literature.
Results: On the basis of the available evidence, we found a higher rate of recurrent patellar dislocation events post-treatment, higher Tegner score and higher Hughston VAS score in patients managed non-operatively compared to patients managed operatively.
Conclusion: This systematic review demonstrated a lower rate of recurrent patellar dislocation events post-treatment in patients managed operatively compared to patients managed non-operatively.