Neglected patellar tendon ruptures: a simple modified reconstruction using hamstrings tendon graft

Outcomes and Complications Following Chronic Patellar Tendon Repair: A Systematic Review

The purpose of this systematic review is to report outcomes and complications following the reconstruction of chronic patellar tendon ruptures. Four databases (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE) were searched from inception to July 2021. Inclusion criteria included articles that (1) analyzed outcomes and complications following chronic patellar tendon reconstruction (>4 weeks from injury to repair), (2) were written in English, (3) greater than five patients, and (4) a minimum 2-year follow-up. Exclusion criteria included (1) non-original research and (2) patellar tendon repair/reconstruction with prior total knee arthroplasty. Data on outcome metrics and complications were extracted from the included studies and reported in a qualitative manner. Nine studies (number of patients = 96) were included after screening. Seven studies analyzed autograft reconstruction, and three of those seven studies analyzed reconstructions with additional augmentation. The remaining two studies evaluated reconstruction utilizing a bone-tendon-bone (BTB) allograft. Four of the autograft studies (n=40 patients) showed a range of post-operative mean Lysholm scores of 74-94. Additionally, four studies reported a post-operative extensor lag of 0-3°. Post-operative protocol for autograft studies included delayed motion and was either contained to a bivalved cast or a hinged knee brace for six weeks. The two allograft studies reported a range of mean Lysholm scores from 62 to 67, and each immobilized the leg in full extension until six weeks. While chronic patellar tendon ruptures are a rare injury of the extensor mechanism, there are viable options for reconstruction. Overall, chronic patellar tendon ruptures reconstructed with both autograft and allograft will provide fair to good outcomes with low complication rates. Following surgery, immobilization for at least six weeks should be emphasized to protect the graft and optimize patient outcomes.

Extensor Mechanism Reconstruction for Chronic Patellar Tendon Tears

OBJECTIVES

Reconstruction for a chronic patellar tendon rupture in a native knee is an uncommon surgical procedure. Although there have been case series investigating patient-reported outcomes, there is no systematic review of these studies to date. The purpose of this review is to synthesize the literature on this procedure to better understand its outcomes, complications, and surgical technique options.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to identify studies that reported outcomes and techniques of patellar tendon reconstruction for chronic disruption in native knees. Searches were conducted through MEDLINE using PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and clinicaltrials.gov.

RESULTS

Ten studies with 103 patients and 105 knees were included. Results for nonnative (arthroplasty) knees were excluded. The mean patient age was 40.3 years, and the mean postsurgical follow-up time was 53.8 months. Of the 105 knees, 75% received a hamstring tendon graft, whereas 13% received a bone-tendon-bone graft and 7% received a whole extensor mechanism allograft. The mean preoperative range of motion was 113.8°, which improved to 126.0° postoperatively. The mean preoperative Lysholm score was 58.6, which improved to 86.0 postoperatively; 100% of patients returned to their normal work activities and 76% returned to their prior level of physical activity. There were no major complications reported in any of the included studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Chronic patellar tendon disruption in a native knee is an uncommon injury that can result in significant limitations for patients. Although more research is needed to better elucidate which graft is best, outcomes after patellar tendon reconstruction for chronic tears appear to be satisfactory with current techniques.

Revision Patella Tendon Repair With Hamstring Tendon Autograft Augmentation Following Failed Inferior Pole Patella Fracture Open Reduction and Internal Fixation

A 46-year-old man presents with left knee bucking 3 months after open reduction and internal fixation of a left knee inferior pole patella fracture. Radiograph and magnetic resonance imaging evaluation reveal displacement and comminution of the inferior pole of the patella confirming failure of the repair. The purpose of this video is to demonstrate the surgical management of failed inferior pole patella fractures using suture anchors for repair of the patella tendon and augmentation with ipsilateral autologous hamstring grafts.

Clinical Outcomes are Similar Between Graft Types Used in Chronic Patellar Tendon Reconstruction: A Systematic Review

Purpose

To compare clinical outcomes between graft types and techniques used to repair chronic patellar tendon injuries to help surgeons make evidence-based decisions.

Methods

Medline, Embase, and Cochrane libraries were searched through January 2021, according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Inclusion criteria were surgical treatment of chronic patellar tendon injury (defined as >6 weeks old), article available in English, and human subjects, minimum 1-year follow-up, and level of evidence I-IV. Studies describing chronic patellar tendon ruptures in the setting of total knee arthroplasty were excluded. Study quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools for case reports and case series.

Results

A total of 642 studies were identified through the initial search with 9 studies meeting all inclusion criteria. All studies included were case series encompassing 96 patients with follow-up ranging from 21 months to 7.2 years. Reconstruction techniques included the use of semitendinosus and/or gracilis tendon(s), Achilles tendon, bone-patellar tendon-bone (BTB), or direct repair. The most common graft choice was semitendinosus and/or gracilis tendon(s). Each reconstruction method yielded improvement in respect to range of motion (ROM), extensor lag, quadriceps strength, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Commonly reported complications were pain and numbness with only one reported instance of graft failure.

Conclusions

In this study, we found that all reconstructive methods described in the literature can produce satisfactory outcomes with improved function, strength, and minimal complications after chronic patellar tendon ruptures. Because of study heterogeneity and low levels of evidence, consensus cannot be reached on a single superior reconstruction method.

Level of Evidence

Level IV, systematic review of level IV studies.

Do Patellar Tendon Repairs Have Better Outcomes than Quadriceps Tendon Repairs? A Prospective Cohort Analysis

Patellar tendon (PT) and quadriceps tendon (QT) ruptures represent significant injuries and warrant surgical intervention in most patients. Outcome data are predominantly retrospective analyses with low sample sizes. There are also minimal data comparing QT and PT repairs and the variables impacting patient outcomes. The level of evidence of the study is level II (prognosis). From the prospective OME cohort, 189 PT or QT repairs were performed between February 2015 and October 2019. Of these, 178 were successfully enrolled (94.2%) with 1-year follow-up on 141 (79.2%). Baseline demographic data included age, sex, race, BMI, years of education, smoking status, and baseline VR-12 MCS score. Surgical and follow-up data included surgeon volume, fixation technique, baseline, and 1-year Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score-Pain (KOOS-Pain), Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score-Physical Function (KOOS-PS), and 1-year Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) scores and complications. Multivariable regression analysis was utilized to identify prognosis and significant risk factors for outcomes-specifically, whether KOOS-Pain or KOOS-PS were different between QT versus PT repairs. There were 59 patients in the PT cohort and 82 patients in QT cohort. Baseline demographic data demonstrated that PT cohort was younger (45.1 vs. 59.5 years, p <0.001), included significantly fewer patients of White race (51.7 vs. 80.0%, p = 0.001), lesser number of years of education (13.9 vs. 15.2 years, p = 0.020), a higher percentage of "high" surgeon volume (72.9% vs. 43.9%, p = 0.001) and 25.4% of PT repairs had supplemental fixation (QT had zero, p <0.001). Multivariable analysis identified gender (female-worse, p = 0.001), years of education (higher-better, p = 0.02), and baseline KOOS-Pain score (higher-better, p <0.001) as the risk factors that significantly predicted KOOS-Pain score. The risk factors that significantly predicted KOOS-PS were gender (female worse, p = 0.033), race (non-White-worse, p <0.001), baseline VR-12 MCS score (higher-better, p <0.001), and baseline KOOS-PS score (higher better, p = 0.029). KOOS-Pain and KOOS-PS scores improved after both QT and PT repairs. Patient reported pain and function at 1 year were similar between PT and QT repairs after adjusting for known risk factors. Multivariable analysis identified female gender and low baseline KOOS scores as predictors for worse outcomes.

Clinical Outcomes of Cannulated Screws versus Ring Pin versus K-Wire with Tension Band Fixation Techniques in the Treatment of Transverse Patellar Fractures: A Case-Control Study with Minimum 2-Year Follow-Up

Purpose. K-wire with tension band (KTB) technique has long been the primary surgical method for transverse patella fractures; however, it also has shortcomings. This study is aimed at evaluating the three different techniques to see whether the cannulated screw tension band (CSTB) or ring pin tension band (RPTB) techniques could decrease complications and achieve better knee function compared with KTB. Methods. We conducted a retrospective comparison of the KTB, CSTB, and RPTB fixation techniques. We selected and reviewed 90 patients (30 patients in each fixation group) with follow-up at least 2 years. Duration of operation, intraoperative blood loss, mean healing time, visual analog scale score, range of motion, Böstman score, Iowa knee score, modified Lysholm rating scale, and postoperative complications were compared. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify the independent risk factors for fracture healing time, postoperative complications, and knee function recovery. Results. After adjusting for confounding factors, multivariate regression analysis revealed that CSTB was 0.26 times (95% CI: 0.08-0.86, $p=0.027$ ) less likely to prolong fracture healing time, 0.20 times (95% CI: 0.06-0.64, $p=0.007$ ) lesser risk of postoperative complications, and more than four times (95% CI: 1.41-13.56, $p=0.011$ ) as likely to improve the knee function score compared with KTB. Besides, RPTB were also superior to KTB in reducing the incidence of postoperative complications (OR: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.07-0.64, $p=0.006$ ) and improved knee function score (OR: 3.96, 95% CI: 1.30-12.08, $p=0.016$ ); however, the CSTB group being more superior. In addition, AO/OTA C2 fractures (OR, odds ratio: 10.68, 95% CI: 1.30-87.70, $p=0.027$ ) and high-energy fracture (OR: 8.78, 95% CI: 1.57-49.17, $p=0.013$ ) were also associated with prolonged fracture healing time but not with postoperative complications and knee function. No significant differences in related indicators such as gender, age, BMI, AO/OTA classification, fracture side, injury mechanism, duration of operation, and intraoperative blood loss were detected among the three groups. Conclusion. This study demonstrated that the CSTB technique is superior to KTB and RPTB techniques in reducing the incidence of postoperative complications, and it also has advantages in accelerating fracture healing, achieving better VAS, ROM, and functional recovery. Further long-term large-sized prospective randomized trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy of the KTB in treating transverse patellar fractures.

Semitendinosus and Gracilis Autograft for Neglected Patellar Tendon Rupture: A Surgical Reconstruction

BACKGROUND: Neglected patellar tendon rupture is an extremely rare case among orthopedic injuries that severely compromises the function of the extensor mechanism of the knee. Therefore, a prompt and accurate diagnosis of a ruptured patellar tendon are a key to efficacious management, because a treatment delay is often associated with unsatisfactory functional outcomes. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of an adult male patient with traumatic patellar tendon rupture after 9 months of a motorcycle accident. The patient underwent reconstruction surgery using semitendinosus and gracilis tendon augmentation. This procedure restores the anatomical position of the patella and prevents extensor lag. At a 3-month follow-up, a full recovery of the structure and function of the extensor mechanism was perceived. The patient could return to normal daily activities following rehabilitation protocol. CONCLUSION: Semitendinosus and gracilis tendon autograft is the technique of choice to be applied in the surgical reconstruction of neglected patellar tendon rupture.

"Staged Reconstruction of Chronic Patella Alta with Ilizarov fixator and Achilles Tendon Allograft: A Case report"

Introduction

Chronic patella alta after chronic patellar tendon rupture or patella fracture non-union is a challenging condition to treat.

Case Report

In this report, we present the case of a 50-year-old male with inferior patellar pole fracture with non-union and chronic patella alta from a chain saw accident 12 years before presentation. An Ilizarov frame was used to reduce the patella to anatomic position before reconstructive surgery for knee extensor mechanism repair using an Achilles tendon allograft.

Conclusion

This case demonstrated the efficacy of the Ilizarov frame in the setting of chronic patella alta where primary repair would have been impossible due to significant scar tissue formation and quadriceps contracture.

A Strategy for Repair, Augmentation, and Reconstruction of Knee Extensor Mechanism Disruption: A Retrospective Review

Background

The loss of extensor mechanism continuity that occurs with patellar and quadriceps tendon rupture has devastating consequences on patient function.

Purpose

To describe a treatment strategy for extensor mechanism disruption and evaluate the outcomes of 3 techniques: primary repair, repair with semitendinosus tendon autograft augmentation, and reconstruction with Achilles tendon allograft.

Study Design

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods

The authors reviewed surgeries for extensor mechanism disruption performed by a single surgeon between 1999 and 2019. Patient characteristics, imaging studies, surgical techniques, and outcomes were recorded. Primary ruptures with robust tissue quality were repaired primarily, and first-time ruptures with significant tendinosis or moderate tissue loss were repaired using quadrupled semitendinosus tendon autograft augmentation. Patients with failed previous extensor mechanism repair or reconstruction and poor tissue quality underwent reconstruction with Achilles tendon allograft. The primary outcome was extensor mechanism integrity at a minimum 1-year follow-up, with extensor mechanism lag defined as >5° loss of terminal, active knee extension. Secondary outcomes included postoperative knee range of motion, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) and Tegner activity scores, and the radiographic Caton-Deschamps Index.

Results

Included were 22 patellar tendon and 21 quadriceps tendon surgeries (patients: 82.5% male; mean age, 48.1 years; body mass index, 31). Seventeen (39.5%) cases underwent primary tendon repair, 13 (30.2%) had repair using semitendinosus tendon autograft augmentation, and 13 (30.2%) underwent reconstruction using an Achilles tendon allograft. Seventeen (39.5%) cases had at least 1 prior failed extensor mechanism surgery performed at an outside facility. At the last follow-up, 4 (9.3%) cases had an extensor mechanism lag, no cases required additional extensor mechanism surgery, and all cases were able to achieve >90° of knee flexion. Postoperative IKDC scores were significantly improved with all methods of extensor mechanism surgery, and postoperative Tegner activity scores were significantly improved in patients who underwent primary repair and Achilles tendon allograft reconstruction (P < .05 for all).

Conclusion

Primary repair alone, repair using quadrupled semitendinosus tendon autograft augmentation, and reconstruction using Achilles tendon allograft were all effective methods to restore extensor mechanism and knee function with the proper indications. Persistent knee extensor lag was more common in chronic extensor mechanism injuries after failed surgery, although patients still reported significantly improved postoperative functional outcomes.

Technique for Fixation of Semitendinosus to the Patella in Patellar Tendon Reconstruction

Chronic patellar tendon injuries are rare yet challenging to treat. Timing of surgery and graft choices are debatable. Many techniques and methods of fixation have been described with pros and cons. Functional impairment of the extensor mechanism and postoperative complications triggers the quest for finding the ideal technique. In this Technical Note, we use distally based semitendinosus (ST) looped over 2 ETHIBOND sutures. The ETHIBOND is passed through 2 vertical tunnels in the patella and retrieved proximally, docking the ST in a blind tunnel created in the lower pole of the patella. The whip-stitched free ST end is passed through a tunnel behind the tibial tubercle and sutured back to its base. A polyester tape is used to augment the repair in a circumferential manner. Postoperatively full weight bearing is allowed as tolerated in a hinged knee brace locked in extension with only passive range of motion of 0-90° allowed for 6 weeks.

Patellar tendon reconstruction with hamstring autograft for the treatment of chronic irreparable patellar tendon injuries

BACKGROUND

Patellar tendon injuries not amenable to primary repair present a challenging problem for surgeons and patients alike. No standard surgical technique exists for these injuries and few studies report outcomes after surgical treatment.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted for patients undergoing surgical treatment for irreparable patellar tendon tears. Patients were treated with an indirect tendon reconstruction technique using high-strength suture to set initial patellar height and hamstring autograft for biologic augmentation. Patients who underwent this procedure between 2012 and 2018 and met minimum two-year follow-up with completion of all outcome measurements including KOOS, PROMIS, VAS pain and satisfaction scores were included.

RESULTS

Eleven patients met inclusion criteria. Ten of eleven patients (91%) had intact repairs and final patient outcomes were collected at a mean of 54.9 ± 23.1 months after surgery. Only one patient experienced extensor lag at final follow-up (p < 0.001). The preoperative Caton-Dechamps ratio was 1.77 ± 0.58, which decreased to 0.98 ± 0.25 after surgery (p < 0.001). The mean postoperative KOOS ADL score was 61.5. The mean postoperative PROMIS Global Mental and Physical Health scores were 46.9 ± 8.7 and 42.0 ± 9.8. Post-operative mean VAS satisfaction score was 5.6 ± 3.4.

CONCLUSIONS

Patellar tendon reconstruction with autologous hamstring tendon graft and suture augmentation allows for acceptable outcomes in the setting of patellar tendon disruption with segmental defects when direct repair is not possible.

Reconstruction of Chronic Patellar Tendon Injury with Achilles Tendon Allograft: A Case Report

CASE

There have been several methods described for the reconstruction of chronic patellar tendon injuries in the native knee. Here, we report a former athlete who sustained a tibial tubercle fracture as an adolescent and presented with functional deficits from a patellar tendon that healed in elongation after the removal of hardware and debridement of ossifications within the tendon. He underwent reconstruction with Achilles allograft.

CONCLUSIONS

Achilles tendon allograft is a good option for reconstructing chronic patellar tendon injuries. Our patient had an excellent outcome at 1 year.

Reconstruction of chronic patellar tendon rupture with contralateral bone-tendon-bone autograft

PURPOSE

To evaluate the clinical and functional outcome following the reconstruction of chronic patellar tendon ruptures using the contralateral bone-tendon-bone (BTB) autograft.

METHODS

The records of seven patients who underwent reconstruction of chronic patellar tendon rupture with contralateral patellar BTB were retrospectively reviewed. Chronic tears were defined as a minimum of 3 months from injury to initial clinical evaluation. Clinical assessments included range of motion of the knee, Tegner, Lysholm and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score and a radiographic analysis of patellar height (Caton-Deschamps index). Postoperative complications and quadriceps strength at last follow-up were reported.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients undergoing surgery was 33 (±10.5) years with a mean follow-up of 41.3 (±29.7) months. Reconstruction surgery was performed at an average of 16 months (3-60 months) after the injury. 86 % of the patients had a normal patella height with mean of patellar height of 1.5 (±0.2) in preoperative radiographs and of 1.2 (±0.07) on postoperative evaluation (p = 0.0136). The mean IKDC was 45.5 (±10.8) before surgery and 64.5 (±12.4) at the last follow-up (p = 0.0001), and Lysholm score was 45.4 (±11.3) and 79 (±11.8), respectively (p = 0.0001). The median Tegner activity scale preinjury was 6 (range 5-7), preoperatively was 1 (range 1-2) and 4 (range 2-5) postoperatively (p = 0.0001). All patients had quadriceps wasting with a difference in thigh girth between the injured side and healthy side of 3.6 ± 0.7 cm (ns). No surgical complications were encountered.

CONCLUSIONS

In this limited cohort, surgical reconstruction of chronic patellar tendon ruptures using contralateral bone-tendon-bone graft was a safe and viable option that improves clinical and functional outcomes compared to presurgical function. However, despite the restoration of a normal patellar height, function did not return to preinjury level.

Reconstruction of chronic patellar tendon rupture using graft from contralateral patella graft together with reinforcement from flexor tendons. Case report

Chronic patellar tendon rupture is a rare disabling injury that is technically difficult to repair. The true prevalence of this injury is unknown. Delayed reconstruction of chronic patellar tendon rupture has yielded suboptimal clinical and functional results. Many different surgical methods for reconstruction of chronic patellar tendon injury have been reported. In this report, we present a case with chronic patellar tendon injury that was addressed using a technique that had not previously been described in the literature, through combining procedures that had been described separately. The reconstruction method presented in this article has the advantages of being easy and reproducible, without a requirement of allografts.

Extensor mechanism ruptures of the knee: differences in demographic data and long-term outcome after surgical treatment

Extensor mechanism ruptures are rare injuries. Until now, only few reports of medium or long-term outcomes have been published.

PURPOSE

The objective of this study was to quantify differences in demographic data and complications referring to patients with either quadriceps tendon ruptures (QTR) or patellar tendon (PTR) ruptures and to evaluate if complete functional restitution can be achieved after surgical treatment.

METHODS

A search was conducted through the database of our level I trauma center in order to identify all patients surgically treated for QTRs or PTRs within 15 years and with a follow-up period of at least three years. Demographic data were collected by scanning their medical records. Of all patients available for a final check-up, their outcomes were assessed using the Knee Society Clinical Rating System (KSS), the Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and the Reduced WOMAC Function Scale (rWOMAC). Furthermore, patient perception (PP) was evaluated.

RESULTS

130 patients (93 QTRs and 43 PTRs) met the inclusion criteria. 8% of the QTR- and 13% of the PTR-patients suffered wound healing disorders/septic complications. 8% in the QTR-group sustained a rerupture. 62% of all patients were available for clinical evaluation, the mean follow-up period was 10.3 years in the QTR-group and 9.0 years in the PTR-group. In both groups good to excellent outcomes were revealed. Of the KSS-Knee, the mean score value was 93.1 in the QTR-group and 91.4 in the PTR-group; KSS-Function: 89.7/96.4; OKS: 14.6/13.1; rWOMAC: 95.7/98.3; PP: 88.5/93.3. QTR-patients suffering a rerupture had a significantly worse outcome in all scores except for the KSS-Knee (p≤0.026), whereas PTR-patients with healing disorders/septic complications showed a significant inferior outcome solely in the PP-scale (p=0.02).

Arthroscopic quadriceps tendon repair: two case reports

Recently, although some studies of open repair of the tendon of the quadriceps femoris have been published, there have been no reports in the literature on primary arthroscopic repair. In our present study, we present two cases of quadriceps tendon injury arthroscopically repaired with excellent results. Case 1 involved a 68-year-old man who was injured while shifting his weight to prevent a fall. MRI showed complete rupture at the insertion of the patella of the quadriceps tendon. The rupture was arthroscopically repaired using both suture anchor and pull-out suture fixation methods via bone tunnels (hereafter, pull-out fixation). Two years after surgery, retearing was not observed on MRI and both Japan Orthopedic Association (JOA) Knee and Lysholm scores had recovered to 100. Case 2 involved a 50-year-old man who was also injured when shifting his weight to prevent a fall. MRI showed incomplete superficial rupture at the insertion of the patella of the quadriceps tendon. The rupture was arthroscopically repaired using pull-out fixation of six strand sutures. One year after surgery, MRI revealed a healed tendon and his JOA and Lysholm scores were 95 and 100, respectively. Thus, arthroscopic repair may be a useful surgical method for repairing quadriceps tendon injury.