Purpose of review: To discuss the treatment options and rehabilitation protocols after non-operative and operative treatment of patellar instability, and to discuss expected return to play outcomes and functional performance with non-operative and operative treatment of patellar instability.
Recent findings: A criterion-based program assessing range of motion, joint effusion, strength, neuromuscular control, proprioception, agility, and power are critical measures to assess when rehabilitating this population. A series of functional tests including quadriceps strength testing, single-limb hop testing, lateral step-down test, the side hop test, the lateral leap and catch test, the Y-balance test, and the depth jump should be considered when determining an athlete's return to sport clearance. These objective measures combined with psychological readiness and a comprehensive understanding of the sports-specific tasks required for participation should be considered when evaluating an athlete's ability to safely and successfully return to sport. We discuss rehabilitation management when working with non-operative and operative management of patellar instability and provide considerations for clinicians working with these athletes to facilitate safe return to sport.
Keywords: MPFC; MPFL; Medial patellofemoral complex; Medial patellofemoral ligament; Patellar dislocation; Patellar instability; Patellofemoral; Reconstruction; Return to play; Return to sport.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.