Long-term follow-up of the treatment of a family with nail-patella syndrome.

Patients with nail-patella syndrome have deformities of the elbows and knees which can cause bothersome symptoms requiring treatment. We have found in a small series of four patients that quadricepsplasties have been uniformly successful in treating recurrent subluxation or dislocation of the patella at 10-year follow-up. Radial head resection has been effective in relieving minor amounts of pain and eliminating the bump caused by the posteriorly dislocated head. The range of motion of the elbow and forearm has not been improved.