Congenital dislocation of the patella is an infrequent
entity of difficult early diagnosis. Differs from other
patellar instabilities in that it is permanent, irreducible by
manipulation and leads to a severe and progressive deformity
of the knee. The purpose of the present study was to assess
the results of 6 knees (5 patients) treated from 1975 through
1997. Four patients showed other malformations: two Down's
syndromes, one polimalformative syndrome and one case of
congenital scoliosis. All patients were treated with the same
surgical protocol by means of vastus lateralis release, lengthening
of the fascia lata, lateral retinacular release, resection
of the ¡ntra-articular fibrous tissue, medial reefing, quadriceps
tendon lengthening and hemi-transference of the
patellar tendon. The results were good or excellent depending
on the time of diagnosis and early surgical treatment.

Congenital dislocation of the patella is an infrequent
entity of difficult early diagnosis. Differs from other
patellar instabilities in that it is permanent, irreducible by
manipulation and leads to a severe and progressive deformity
of the knee. The purpose of the present study was to assess
the results of 6 knees (5 patients) treated from 1975 through
1997. Four patients showed other malformations: two Down's
syndromes, one polimalformative syndrome and one case of
congenital scoliosis. All patients were treated with the same
surgical protocol by means of vastus lateralis release, lengthening
of the fascia lata, lateral retinacular release, resection
of the ¡ntra-articular fibrous tissue, medial reefing, quadriceps
tendon lengthening and hemi-transference of the
patellar tendon. The results were good or excellent depending
on the time of diagnosis and early surgical treatment.