Knee procedures
MPFL Reconstruction
Rebuilding the ligament that holds the kneecap in place.
The medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) runs along the inner side of the knee and is one of the main restraints keeping the kneecap in its groove. It is commonly torn when a kneecap dislocates. MPFL reconstruction rebuilds it, and it is one of the procedures Dr. Green lists among the techniques he performs.
Where MPFL reconstruction fits
MPFL reconstruction is a treatment for recurrent patellar instability — it addresses the ligament restraint rather than the shape or alignment of the bone.
Where the bone alignment is the driver, it may be combined with, or replaced by, a tibial tubercle or Fulkerson osteotomy. Which applies is decided from the diagnosis and the imaging.
How Dr. Green decides between surgery and non-surgical treatmentHow Dr. Green treats patellar instability with MPFL reconstruction
- MPFL reconstructionRebuilding the medial patellofemoral ligament on the inner side of the knee.
- Combined with bony realignment where indicatedTibial tubercle osteotomy or Fulkerson osteotomy, where the alignment of the bone is driving the instability.
Dr. Green's published research on MPFL reconstruction
Of the papers indexed on PubMed under Dr. Green’s Hospital for Special Surgery affiliation, 17 are on this subject. Dr. Green has published on MPFL reconstruction in the pediatric population, and is on the executive committee of the International Patellofemoral Study Group.
See the full publication recordThe papers themselves
The 8 most recent of his 17 papers on this subject, indexed on PubMed under his Hospital for Special Surgery affiliation. Each opens on PubMed.
- Medial patellotibial ligament reconstruction concomitant with medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction in fixed and obligatory patellar dislocation: A consecutive case series Journal of ISAKOS : joint disorders & orthopaedic sports medicine · 2026 Aug · Dr. Green is author 9 of 9
- Validation of the ACL Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI) Scale in Pediatric and Adolescent Patients After Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2026 May · Dr. Green is author 10 of 11
- Factors Associated With the Decision to Perform a Lateral Retinacular Release or Lengthening During Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction in the JUPITER Cohort Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2026 Feb · Dr. Green is author 3 of 8
- How much improvement in patient reported outcomes after isolated medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction is associated with surgeon-defined satisfactory outcomes? A JUPITER study Journal of ISAKOS : joint disorders & orthopaedic sports medicine · 2025 Dec · Dr. Green is author 5 of 10
- Variation in Surgical Technique for Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction in Skeletally Immature Patients: Data From the JUPITER Prospective Multicenter Study Group Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2025 Feb · Dr. Green is author 3 of 23
- Simultaneous MPFL reconstruction and guided growth result in low rates of recurrent patellofemoral instability Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2024 May · Dr. Green is author 8 of 8
- MPFL Reconstruction and Implant-Mediated Guided Growth in Skeletally Immature Patients With Patellar Instability and Genu Valgum The American journal of sports medicine · 2024 Mar · Dr. Green is author 9 of 11
- Concomitant anterior medializing osteotomy and MPFL reconstruction improves patellar tilt when compared to MPFL reconstruction alone Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2023 Aug · Dr. Green is author 6 of 6
Patients Dr. Green has treated for this condition
Kneecap Pain and Injury Nicholas Sherman Succasunna, NJ Read Nicholas’s story 
Kneecap Pain and Injury Ella Sharrock Selden, NY Read Ella’s story 
Kneecap Pain and Injury Ryann Redmond Floral Park, NY Read Ryann’s story 
Kneecap Pain and Injury Kaelyn Gordon East Islip, NY Read Kaelyn’s story Questions parents ask
Is MPFL reconstruction different in a child?
A growing child has open growth plates near the knee, so the procedure has to be planned around them. Dr. Green’s practice is specifically the growing knee.
Does every dislocated kneecap need an MPFL reconstruction?
No. It is a treatment for recurrent instability, not for every first dislocation.