The anterior femoral osteotomy for patellofemoral instability.

This study reviews the results of anterior femoral osteotomies in five patients with symptomatic patellofemoral instability recalcitrant to surgical and nonsurgical treatment. Preoperatively, each patient was severely disabled in activities of daily living, but after an average of slightly more than 7 1/2 years of follow-up, four of the five patients remained significantly improved. Anterior femoral osteotomy has a high complication rate and should only be considered as a salvage procedure in individuals with a hypoplastic lateral femoral condyle and disabling patellofemoral instability in whom previous surgery yielded unsuccessful results.