Treatment of late Patella Baja after an otherwise routine total knee arthroplasty

There is very little data on the incidence or treatment options for late developing patella baja following uncomplicated total knee arthroplasty (TKA). In this article we present the course, surgical treatment, rationale, and one-year outcome of our treatment of this complication with extensor mechanism allograft reconstruction. In our patient, the index TKA produced good results in the early postoperative period, but the patient went on to develop pain, decreased range of motion (ROM), and patella baja, which was resistant to extensive physical therapy and MUA. This was treated successfully with an extensor mechanism allograft, which restored normal patellar height relationships.