Patellar tendon shortening after treatment of patellar instability with a patellar tendon medialization procedure

Patellar instability is a multifactorial disorder. Patella alta is strongly associated with patellar instability. We hypothesize that procedures of the patellar tendon such as medialization may shorten the patellar tendon. In this retrospective study, 41 patients with patellar instability were treated operatively with a patellar tendon medialization procedure. Twenty-eight knees were treated using a modified Roux-Goldthwait method and 16 using a modified Elmslie-Trillat method. The patients were followed 2-7 years after the operation. Pre- and post-operative x-rays were analyzed with particular emphasis on patellar tendon length, patellofemoral congruence angle and osteoarthritis. The final clinical outcome was assessed using the Lysholm score and clinical examination. In both groups patients were generally satisfied with the result of the operation and there was no significant difference in Lysholm scores at follow-up. However, patellofemoral osteoarthritic changes increased in both groups compared with the pre-operative status. The patellar tendon length was reduced in both groups, but significantly, by 7%, in the Roux-Goldthwait group. We conclude that patellar tendon shortens after a Roux-Goldthwait procedure.