The Effect of Early Reduction on Patellar Development in Rabbits after Patellar Dislocation

Wu Yu; An Ming; Zhou Jin; Tang Shiyu; Ren Jingtian; Li Weifeng

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1008-5572.2025.11.009

Abstract：Objective Patellar morphology abnormalities are considered as a high-risk factor for patellar dislocation,and animal experiments have shown that early patellar dislocation can lead to abnormal development of patellar morphology.The purpose of this experiment is to study whether early reduction can improve the development of patellar morphology in rabbits in a patellar dislocation model.Methods 45 rabbits aged 2 months were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups,with 15 rabbits in each group.Group 1 and Group 2 underwent patellar dislocation surgery,while Group 3 underwent sham surgery.One month later,Group 2 underwent patellar reduction.The changes in patellar morphology of each group were analyzed at 1 month and 3 months after patellar reduction.Results At 1 month postoperatively,compared with Group 1,Group 3 demonstrated greater patellar width and a smaller Wiberg angle(P＜0.05).The Wiberg angle in Group 2 was smaller than that in Group 1(P＜0.05),while no statistically significant differences were observed in the remaining parameters.At 3 months postoperatively,compared with Group 1,both Groups 2 and 3 exhibited greater patellar width and thickness,along with a smaller Wiberg angle(P＜0.05).Additionally,the patellar articular surface in Group 1 appeared significantly flattened.The Wiberg index in Group 3 was lower than that in Group 1(P＜0.05).Conclusion Patellar dislocation can lead to morphological changes in the patella,and early reduction of the patella can improve the degree of patellar morphological abnormalities.