Patellar Dislocation, Etiology, Physical Examination, Radiology, and Treatment

Patellar dislocation is one of the most frequent occurring patellofemoral conditions. Patients with patellar dislocation can present to orthopedic surgeons with various clinical scenarios ranging from mild knee pain to traumatic complaints. A gold standard treatment is not present. However, contraindications for surgical techniques should be taken into account. The treatment should be individualized to the patient’s characteristics, the clinical presentation of patellar dislocation, and predisposing risk factors for patellar dislocation. The critical decision has three components: (1) detecting which patients have the highest risk for recurrent dislocation, (2) deciding if nonoperative or operative treatment is needed, and (3) carefully assessing the benefits and risks associated with both treatment approaches. In this chapter, the authors summarize the etiology, physical examination, radiology, and treatment of this important sports injury topic.