Postoperative management of the patellofemoral patient.

Postoperative management of the patellofemoral patient requires the clinician to implement a program which reestablishes functional activities of daily living. This paper will discuss the postoperative management of the patellofemoral patient. Effective rehabilitation techniques are needed to progress the patient. Surgical procedures, such as a lateral retinacular release, proximal realignment, and distal realignments, are frequently utilized techniques; however, long-term clinical outcome studies are lacking. The postoperative protocols discussed utilize an evaluation-based treatment approach model. The model defines evaluation techniques, leading the clinician to a specific rehabilitation pathway. The crucial element of postoperative management focuses on a treatment and exercise approach similar to the nonoperative management. Inappropriate or overly aggressive exercises may lead to possible neurologic dysfunction or delayed muscle function. The clinician must recognize that patients may exhibit articular cartilage damage, and, thus, rehabilitation programs must be designed to minimize the potential risks of progressing this lesion.