Knee cap allignment surgery? Help?!

As I have been dealing with patella instability stemming for an initial dislocation for almost two years, I have learned a lot about and have undergone two procedures to fix it. First of all, surgery is not the first line of defense, usually it's bracing, physical therapy, orthotics if needed to correct foot mechanical problems, rest, anti-inflam. Also, it is very important to figure out what is causing your instability (could be rotation of your femur/tibias, high q angle, lateralized tibial tubercle, loose medial tissues, tight lateral tissues, shallow grooves, overpronation, etc).

For my knee, I tried several courses of physical therapy, taping, several different braces, cortisone, meds, orthotics, etc as non-surgical treatments.

Once you have exhausted conservative treatments, and your contributing factors have been identified, you can consider the right surgery for you. There are numerous "knee cap alignment surgeries" so it's difficult to answer your answers unless I know an exact name (lateral release, medial reefing, medial plication, MPFL, tibial tubercle transfer, derotational osteotomy, etc.)

My first surgery to fix it was lateral release and medial reefing. My surgeon did it all arthroscopically although some may do the medial reefing open. I only had two very tiny incisions for it. I used crutches for 2 weeks after surgery, but I was allowed to ditch them whenever I felt comfortable. Casts are rarely ever used after knee surgery. I had a knee immobilizer (kept my leg straight) for about 5 weeks then switched into a smaller knee brace. I never got to return to most activities as I continued to have problems with my knee and rehab and then the instability started again.

My next surgery I had done (different doctor and he really identified what was causing my instability) was a tibial tubercle transfer (break off the piece of bone where the patella tendon connects beneath the knee, move it over towards the middle, and screw it back in place) and a MPFL reconstruction (reconstructing the ligament on the inside of your knee that attaches to kneecap and your femur). At the same time, my surgeon also did the lateral release again. After this surgery, I was given a leg brace that has several straps that go around my leg and also hinges that can adjust the range of motion. Although my surgeon did scope the knee to look around and do the lateral release, my surgery was done open and I have 2 big incisions: 1 below my knee down my shin and one on the inner part of my knee. I'm a little over 5 weeks out and still using both crutches. I started physical therapy 2 days after surgery. Last time, my old surgeon made me wait 6 weeks, but it's all surgeon's protocol. It has definitely helped to start it sooner in my opinion. Recovery is estimated for a year plus.

Why wouldn't you want your growth plates to come together? It's natural, as you get older, for your growth plates to ossify and you to stop growing.

If when you mean prevent them from coming together, you mean prevent the surgery from stopping your growth, I don't really think any patella realignment surgeries interfere with the growth plates. Most of them are soft tissue procedures unless you have the tibial tubercle transfer or other osteotomies which deal with the bones. I would talk this over with your surgeon. However, I'm 17 and had this procedure with no growth plate effects.

Good Luck.