Among 53 prospectively studied patients who had undergone operative treatment of primary patellar dislocation, 9 (17%) suffered recurrence within an average follow-up of 6.5 years. All the redislocations occurred in female patients. The patients with recurrence also suffered first-time patellar dislocation in their unoperated knee during the follow-up significantly more often (P<0.01) than="" the="" patients="" with="" stable="" knees.="" patients="" with="" redislocations="" were="" more="" often="" dissatisfied="" with="" their="" outcome="" than="" the="" stable="" group,="" mainly="" because="" of="" annoying="" anterior="" knee="" pain="">P<0.05). preoperatively="" the="" patients="" with="" redislocation="" had="" had="" more="" pronounced="" pathological="" patellofemoral="" congruity="" (laurin's="" projections)="" in="" both="" the="" operated="" knee="">P<0.05) and="" the,="" at="" that="" time="" uninjured,="" control="" knee="">P<0.05). to="" improve="" the="" results="" of="" operative="" treatment="" for="" acute="" patellar="" dislocation,="" surgery="" should="" be="" aimed="" at="" correcting="" the="" underlying="" pathology.="" in="" grossly="" and="" symmetrically="" pathological="" cases="" of="" patellofemoral="" articulation,="" a="" distal="" realignment="" procedure="" should="" be="" considered.="" otherwise="" conservative="" treatment="" may="" be="">