An unusual case of neglected bilateral isolated aplasia of the patella in a 21-year-old patient: A case report

Isolated absence of the patella is an extremely rare condition. Absence or hypoplasia of the patella is usually associated with genetic disorders and lower limb malformations. In this paper, an isolated absence of the patella without any other deformities is described. A 21-year-old male patient referred to our clinic presented with walking difficulty in the past 6 months and deformity of both knees. Except for these complaints, he had no problems. Isolated aplasia of the patella may cause no major dysfunction, and surgical or major treatment is not always required. The most interesting point of this case is that the patient had not experienced any complaints for over 20 years, nor was he aware of his knee deformity. This appears to be the first report of neglected bilateral patellar aplasia in a 21-year-old male patient.