Conservative treatment of patellar dislocations. Influence of evident factors on the tendency to redislocation and the therapeutic result.

The factors predisposing to recurrent dislocation and the results of conservative treatment were investigated in 79 cases of patellar dislocation. Patella alta and subluxation were significantly more common in patients without than in those with a history of injury. No single predisposing factor caused more redislocation than any other. The tendency to redislocation was significantly greater in patients younger than 20 years of age than in those older than 20 years of age at the time of primary dislocation. Corroborating reports in a large literature on the disorder, the present experience validates conservative management for primary dislocations and surgical treatment for redislocations of the patella.