A bump is placed under the knee to keep 20-30 degrees of flexion throughout exposure. A longitudinal skin incision extending from 5cm proximal to the superior pole of the patella to the tibial tubercle is made. This incision may be centered over the lateral border of the patella or midline based on surgeon preference, however, we advocate for the use of a laterally based incision to minimize soft tissue disruption over the planned arthrotomy site and to distance the incision from the underlying implants. The extensor mechanism is identified and soft tissue flaps are created to permit visualization and assessment of both the medial and lateral retinaculum.