Objective:

To Compare the clinical outcomes of patellofemoral arthroplasty and Fulkerson osteotomy.

Material and methods:

32 patients with the diagnosis of isolated patellofemoral arthrosis were treated, 16 patients with patellofemoral Arthroplasty and 16 patients with Fulkerson type osteotomy. Being a non-probabilistic sample of convenience and quota with random allocation. The indications for surgery were osteoarthritis patellofemoral grade III-IV of the classification Kellgren-Lawrence, treated with pharmacological therapy and physical rehabilitation without improvement of the symptomatology. Clinical evaluations were performed prior to surgical procedure at six months, one year and two years. With the questionnaires of Japanese Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, Lysholm Knee Score and analogue visual scale.

Results:

Significant improvement was found in both groups The pain component improved significantly in both groups at six months, one year and at two years (p ≤ 0.001 for both), daily activities (p = 0.001), sports (p = 0.001). The quality of life improved (p = 0.001). correlation between one-year follow-up score in the group of patients treated with patellofemoral arthroplasty on the Lysholm scale and the KOOS pain subscale (R2 = 0.8508). A moderate correlation in pain and sport dimensions on the KOOS scale (R2 = 0.783).

Discussion:

In our study group, patellofemoral arthroplasty exhibits better function as well as a decrease in pain compared to arthroscopy and Fulkerson’s osteotomy at all stages of follow-up.