2025 AAOS Annual Meeting: Prospective comparative study on the lateral retinacular release during MPFL reconstruction Randomized clinical trial with a minimum of follow up of two years

One hundred twenty-five patients with recurrent patellar dislocation without bony abnormalities were randomized to receive isolated MPFL reconstruction (n=XX) or MPFL reconstruction with arthroscopic lateral retinacular release (n=XX). The primary outcome of interest was the subjective International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score. Secondary outcomes of interest included patellar tilt with quadriceps relaxed (PTQR), patellar tilt with quadriceps contracted (PTQC), and post-operative complications. Outcomes were assessed at a minimum of 24 months, with a median follow-up of 36 months. Overall, the results of the study revealed no significant differences between groups for IKDC score (78 ± 15 vs 81 ± 15), PTQR (21° ± 9° vs 17° ± 8°), or PTQC (24° ± 10° vs 21° ± 9°). Complication rates were comparable between groups. These findings suggest that adding a lateral retinacular release to MPFL reconstruction does not provide additional benefit and should not be performed routinely.