Arthroscopic mediopatellar plicaectomy and lateral retinacular release in mechanical patellofemoral disorders

Arthroscopy was performed on 168 knees of 164 patients with anterior knee pain by a single arthroscopic surgeon between April 1993 and March 2000, with a mean follow-up of 29 months. There were 168 mediopatellar plicae, 16 infrapatellar plicae, 8 suprapatellar plicae, and 30 lateral plicae, and all plicae were excised. Lateral retinacular release was performed in 74 patients with patellar lateral compression syndrome, patellar lateralization, and patellar lateral subluxation through anterolateral portal without using a third portal with the help of a hook knife. Debridement and drilling were performed in type 3 and 4 chondropathies (Outerbridge classification), and cartilage debridement was performed in type 2 chondropathies. We examined the effect on morbidity and prognosis of the arthroscopic lateral retinacular release through the standard anterolateral portal; the results of condylar chondropathies and debridement and drilling applied to the chondropathies were also evaluated. Mediopatellar plica was seen to play a mechanical role in the development of medial femoral chondropathy, which confirms that excision of plica is a prophylactic procedure. A further successful method is lateral retinacular release applied through the standard anterolateral portal with conventional methods without using a third portal at the cases with patellar lateral compression syndrome, patellar lateralization, and patellar lateral subluxation. Classical debridement and drilling methods are cheap and easy for the treatment of chondropathy. We consider these methods still to be useful methods of treatment.