MPFL reconstruction?

Posted , 2 users are following.

Both kneecaps have dislocated since the age of 11 (now 35). TTT and MPFL reconstruction on right knee stopped the dislocations and the left knee just seemed to behave itself - until April this year. Kneecap dislocated at Easter, referred for physio by the GP. Kneecap keeps dislocating and the knee keeps buckling from under me as well as constant pain. The physio says that they think I need surgical intervention and that the problem is again with the MPFL, they say that physio will only provide a temporary fix to a more serious underlying problem...........is it common to have exactly the same problem with both knees? Or are they just erring on the side of caution given my history?

Any help or advice greatly appreciated.

0 likes, 1 reply

1 Reply

  • Posted

    To answer your question, yes it is possible to have the same problem with both knees. I have been dislocating both of my kneecaps since I was 9 years old due having trochlear dysplasia in both knees. As it was explained to me, the trochlea is the groove in your femur that the kneecap is supposed to ride in like a train. When you have a dysplasia, the "rails" are not straight or ridged and the train derails under certain circumstances. This causes the MPFL to tear in most cases making further dislocations easier. Now, I am not a doctor but I have done a lot of research on this subject and the doctor that did both of my operations is one of the best patella-femoral doctors in the world. In February, I underwent my first surgery to correct it. I had a Trochleoplasty to correct the trochlear dysplasia and and MPFL Reconstruction to reconstruct the torn MPFL that resulted from all the dislocations. And I am currently recovering from my second procedure which was pretty much identical to the first. Once again, our circumstances may vary and I am only 19, so your options for surgery may differ from mine. But I hope this helps and I hope you can get your problem fixed so you can move on. Good luck.

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.