Abstract:[Objective] To compare the clinical efficacy of open reduction and cannulated screw fixation versus arthroscopic resection of painful Saupe type III bipartite patella. [Methods] A retrospective study was conducted on 19 patients who receive surgical treatment for painful bipartite patella in our hospital from January 2008 to January 2020. According to doctor-patient communication, 10 patients under- went open reduction and cannulated screw fixation (the fixation group), while the remaining 9 patients underwent arthroscopic resection (the resection group). The perioperative, follow-up and imaging data of the two groups were compared. [Results] Although the fixation group had significantly longer incision than the resection group [(3.5±0.4) cm vs (1.8±0.3) cm, P<0.05], the former proved significantly superior to the latter in terms of pain VAS score 5 days after operation [(2.6±0.2) vs (3.6±0.1), P<0.05] and ambulation time [(3.5±1.3) days vs (6.7±1.0) days, P<0.05], despite of insignificant differences in incision healing and hospital stay between the two groups (P>0.05). With time of the fol- low-up lasted for (36.1±2.5) months on a mean, the pain VAS score significantly reduced (P<0.05), whereas Kujala and Hungerford scores, as well as knee extension-flexion ROM significantly increased in both groups (P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the above indexes between the two groups before operation (P>0.05), but the fixation group was significantly better than the resection group in terms of VAS score [(1.6±0.5) vs (2.9±0.8), P<0.05], Kujala score [(92.1±3.2) vs (85.8±4.4), P<0.05], Hungerford score (95.1±4.3) vs (87.5± 5.4), P<0.05] and knee ROM [(139.4± 4.7)° vs (131.6± 3.3)°, P<0.05] 12 months postoperatively. Regarding to imaging, the patello- femoral K-L classification and Insall index remained unchanged significantly in both groups at 6 and 12 months after surgery compared with those preoperatively (P>0.05), which were not statistically significant between the two groups at any time points correspondingly (P>0.05). [Conclusion] The open reduction and cannulated screw fixation take the advantages of less trauma, direct vision reduction and reliable fixa- tion, do achieve better clinical outcome over the arthroscopic resection for painful bipartite patella.