Objective:To compare the lateral veneer fixation versus the tunnel fixation for reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) in the treatment of recurrent patellar dislocation in adolescents.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the data of 50 adolescent patients with recurrent patellar dislocation who had been treated at Department of Pediatric Orthopedics, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January 2020 to January 2023. There were 12 males and 38 females with an age of (15.0±0.9) years, and 23 cases on the left and 27 cases on the right. The number of preoperative dislocations was (2.5±0.9) times. According to the surgical methods, the patients were divided into 2 groups: a veneer group of 25 cases whose MPFL was reconstructed by the patellar lateral veneer fixation, and a tunnel group of 25 cases whose MPFL was reconstructed by the patellar tunnel fixation. The 2 groups were compared in terms of Kujala score, Lysholm score, lateral patellofemoral angle (LPFA), congruence angle (CA), patellar tilt angle (PTA), and lateral patellar displacement (LPT) at the last follow-up.Results:As the differences in the preoperative general data between the groups were insignificant, the 2 groups were comparable ( P>0.05). The 50 patients were followed up for (24.1±5.1) months after surgery. There were no complications like patellar fracture or limitation of joint flexion-extension in either group after surgery, and neither group experienced any further patellar dislocation at the last follow-up. The Kujala score, Lysholm score, LPFA, CA, PTA and LPT at the last follow-up were (87.8±4.3) points, (88.3±4.7) points, 9.5°±1.1°, 10.8°±1.4°, 9.6°±1.0°, and 9.2±1.3 mm in the veneer group, and (86.0±4.4) points, (87.7±4.2) points, 9.5°±1.1°, 11.0°±1.6°, 9.0°±1.8°, and (9.2±1.3) mm in the tunnel group, respectively, showing no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups ( P>0.05). However, there were significant improvements within each group in the comparisons of the above indexes between pre-surgery and the last follow-up ( P<0.05). Conclusion:In the treatment of recurrent patellar dislocation in adolescents, both lateral veneer fixation and tunnel fixation to reconstruct the MPFL can improve the alignment of the patellofemoral joint in adolescents, contributing to the improvement of knee joint function and patellar stability.