Clinical efficacy of absorbable cartilage screw fixation for osteochondral fracture caused by patellar dislocation

Background Osteochondral fracture (OCF) often occurs in patellar dislocation and has various treatment methods. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the clinical efficacy of using absorbable cartilage screws to fix OCF. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of 455 patients who underwent medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction (MPFLR) from 2020 to 2024, with the aim of identifying patients who underwent simultaneous OCF fixation with bioabsorbable screws. The preoperative and postoperative joint functions were evaluated by ROM (range of motion), VAS (visual analogue scale) score of patellofemoral joint pain during knee deep flexion, Kujala score, Lysholm score, IKDC (international knee documentation committee) score and Tegner score. The MRI was used to evaluate the fracture healing. Results There were a total of 31 patients who underwent both MPFLR and OCF fixation simultaneously. The average age was 18.21 years (12.08–36 years) [16.00, 20.41]. The average follow-up time was 33.71 months (10–60 months) [27.54, 39.88]. The ROM (120.81 ± 7.30), VAS score (1.35 ± 0.49), Kujala score (87.00 ± 7.32), Lysholm score (86.32 ± 8.92), IKDC score (85.26 ± 4.49) and Tegner score (5.81 ± 0.75) at the latest follow-up were significantly improved comparing with the preoperative ROM (87.32 ± 8.83), VAS score (8.35 ± 0.55), Kujala score (56.16 ± 18.43), Lysholm score (48.61 ± 10.16), IKDC score (43.58 ± 6.00) and Tegner score (3.52 ± 0.51), the differences were statistically significant ( t = −16.273, 53.048, 8.660, 15.535, −30.959, −14.088, respectively. all p < 0.001). MRI showed good healing of OCF. All patients recovered well after surgery. Conclusion This study confirms the satisfactory clinical outcomes of using absorbable cartilage screws to fix OCF caused by patellar dislocation.