Seventy-three knees which had undergone patellectomy for patello-femoral osteoarthritis are reviewed.
A possible mechanism of involvement of the tibiofemoral joint is described.
Patellectomy, when the disease is confined to the patello-femoral articulation, appears to be beneficial over a 5-year period. When arthritic changes are present in the tibio-femoral joint, patellectomy may be beneficial in about half the patients.