Spontaneous bilateral patellar tendon rupture: a case report and review of the literature

Simultaneous Bilateral Patellar Tendon Rupture: A Systematic Review

The extensor mechanism of the knee can be damaged due to various modes of injury, which, in most cases, will require urgent surgical intervention for repair. Single patellar tendon ruptures are uncommon, but simultaneous bilateral events are even rarer and have been scarcely reviewed in English literature. Research in this area is mainly confined to case series, with some literature reviews but no evidence of more substantial analysis. Therefore, this systematic review was done to analyse the existing literature on bilateral simultaneous patellar tendon ruptures and propose a systematic and standardised approach to diagnosing and managing these injuries. A systematic review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The search terms included 'bilateral patellar tendon rupture', 'bilateral', 'patellar', 'tendon' and 'rupture'. Three independent reviewers conducted searches in PubMed, OvidSP for Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Library using the same search strategy. The eligibility criteria included studies on bilateral concomitant patellar tendon rupture published in English. Bilateral simultaneous patellar tendon ruptures of traumatic and atraumatic origin in human patients were included. The study types comprised case reports and literature reviews. The key limitation of this study was the low number of patients covered by the eligible literature. Patellar tendon ruptures are a rare and scarcely documented injury, and there is a need for studies with a high level of evidence, especially regarding surgical treatment choice and methods, as well as post-operative management, which could potentially lead to improved outcomes in the management of this injury.

Double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using autologous hamstring tendon hybrid grafts in a patient with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: A case report

BACKGROUND

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a connective tissue disorder characterized by skin hyperextensibility, joint hypermobility, and tissue friability. Hypermobile type Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) is considered one of the EDS subtypes characterized by generalized joint hypermobility. Although there have been a few case reports which described surgical considerations for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions in patients with other types of EDS, no reports have described those in patients with hEDS.

CASE PRESENTATION

We report a case of ACL injury in an 18-year-old male patient with hEDS. The patient was successfully treated with an anatomic double-bundle ACL reconstruction using autologous hamstring tendon hybrid grafts which consist of hamstring tendons connected in a series with commercially available polyester tape. The autogenous tendon portion of the anteromedial and posterolateral bundles were composed of 4 and 2 strands of hamstring tendons, respectively. After 2 weeks of knee joint immobilization, continuous passive motion exercise of the knee joint and partial weight-bearing was allowed. A hinged knee brace was used for a period of 5 months postoperatively. Second-look arthroscopy at 30 months showed that the ACL graft had no laceration and an excellent coverage of the synovium. At 36 months after surgery, the side-to-side differences in the anterior laxity was remarkably improved. The operated knee showed negative Lachman test and had a full range of motion.

CONCLUSIONS

To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first report of anatomic double-bundle ACL reconstruction in patients with hEDS and demonstrates excellent clinical and functional outcomes.

Surgical Management of Shoulder and Knee Instability in Patients with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: Joint Hypermobility Syndrome

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a hereditary disorder of the connective tissue, which has been classified into numerous subtypes over the years. EDS is generally characterized by hyperextensible skin, hypermobile joints, and tissue fragility. According to the 2017 International Classification of EDS, 13 subtypes of EDS have been recognized. The majority of genes involved in EDS are either collagen-encoding genes or genes encoding collagen-modifying enzymes. Orthopedic surgeons most commonly encounter patients with the hypermobile type EDS (hEDS), who present with signs and symptoms of hypermobility and/or instability in one or more joints. Patients with joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS) might also present with similar symptomatology. This article will focus on the surgical management of patients with knee or shoulder abnormalities related to hEDS/JHS.

Total bilateral ruptures of the knee extensor apparatus

Objective

Bilateral extensor tendon ruptures of the knee are rare and have only been published in the form of case reports or small series.

Methods

Seven patients corresponding to 14 extensor tendon ruptures of the knee were evaluated by the same examiner after a minimum one year post-surgery. Clinical and radiographic evaluations were performed; for statistical analysis, the level of significance was set at 0.05.

Results

The most common injury was patellar tendon rupture (n = 9; 64.29%) followed by quadriceps tendon rupture (n = 5, 35.71%). The intrasubstance was the most affected location (57.15%), followed by the myotendinous junction (21.43%) and the patellar bone insertions (21.43%). Quadriceps tendon ruptures were more prevalent in patients older than 50 years, while patellar tendon ruptures tended to occur in younger individuals. All but one patient had recognized risk factors for tendinous degeneration and rupture: 75% of the cases suffered from diseases, 50% had history of drug use and/or abuse, and 37.5% had both disease and drug use history. Mean attained values for flexion ROM were 124.64° ± 9.43 (110–140°) and 89.57 ± 6.02 (78–94) for Kujala score. More than half of the patients complained of residual pain and quadriceps muscular weakness. Mean age was younger in the individuals who complained of residual pain.

Conclusion

Bilateral tendon ruptures of the knee extensor apparatus ruptures are rare and serious injuries, mostly associated with risk factors. Early surgical repair and intensive rehabilitation program for bilateral extensor tendon ruptures of the knee may warrant satisfactory functional outcomes in the medium to long term, despite non-negligible levels of residual pain, quadriceps muscle weakness, and atrophy.

Spontaneous bilateral patellar tendon rupture: case report and review of fluoroquinolone-induced tendinopathy

The present case emphasizes the importance of adhering to strict indications when prescribing fluoroquinolones. Although rare, drug‐induced tendinopathy is not confined to fluoroquinolones. The patient's and physician's awareness should be increased to reduce fluoroquinolones‐associated morbidity, particularly in patients with previously described risk factors.

Neglected bilateral rupture of the patellar tendon: A case report

Simultaneous bilateral rupture of the patellar tendon (PT) is extremely rare and is generally associated to some chronic diseases. When the rupture becomes chronic, it is more difficult to repair that as it remained untreated. The diagnosis, which is clinical, is often delayed, guided by standard radiography and confirmed by ultrasound or MRI. The management of a bilateral neglected, chronic patellar tendon rupture must address some serious difficulties: the proximally retracted patella, the reconstruction of the patellar tendon, finally, the temporary protection of this repair. We report a case of neglected bilateral rupture of the patellar tendon in a chronic hemodialysis patient, treated with a plastic surgery of the ipsilateral quadriceps tendon.

Bilateral Proximal Tibial Sleeve Fractures in a Child: A Case Report

Introduction:

A sleeve fracture classically describes an avulsion of cartilage or periosteum with or without osseous fragments and usually occurs at the inferior margin of the patella. Tibial tubercle sleeve fractures in the skeletally immature are extremely rare.

Case Presentation:

In this report the authors describe a 12-year-old boy with no systemic disease and no steroid use who sustained bilateral proximal tibial sleeve fractures whilst playing football. Both ruptures were associated with rupture of the medial patellofemoral ligament and tear of the medial retinaculum. Treatment was performed with primary end-to-end repair, reinforcement with bone anchors and cerclage wires with an excellent outcome.

Conclusions:

We feel this rare, currently unclassified variant of a tibial tubercle avulsion fracture should be recognised and consideration taken to adding it to existing classification systems.

Upper ankle ligament rupture and long term problems in a patient with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome — a case report

Rupture of the upper ankle joint ligaments is a common injury. Therapy in patients with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a challenge due to the autosomal-dominant collagenopathy. Therapeutic recommendations and long term results in treatment of patients with EDS are rare. Therefore uncertainty exists. We present a case of clinical and radiologic long term results after ligament rupture of the upper ankle joint in a patient with EDS. A literature review tries to reveal current therapeutic strategies in patients with EDS.

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY ON TENDON RUPTURES OF THE KNEE EXTENSOR MECHANISM AT A LEVEL 1 HOSPITAL

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of the present study was to review the epidemiological aspects of tendon ruptures of the knee extensor apparatus at a level 1 hospital.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 76 lesions of the knee extensor apparatus that were treated surgically at the Miguel Couto Municipal Hospital between March 2004 and March 2011. We took into consideration age, sex, trauma mechanism, anatomical classification of the lesion, affected side, comorbidities and associated lesions.

RESULTS

Among the patients studied, 68 were male and the mean age was 36 years. Regarding the trauma mechanism, 62 lesions occurred due to direct trauma; the right side was affected in 21 cases; eight presented comorbidities and four presented associated lesions.

CONCLUSION

The majority of the patients were male, at an economically active age (young people), and were victims of direct trauma. Ruptures of the patellar ligament were the most frequent lesions. Associated lesions were rare and comorbidities were infrequent in our sample.

Multiple triggering in a girl with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome: case report

We report a case of multiple triggering associated with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. We postulate that the propensity for tendon degeneration in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome coupled with repetitive microtrauma might lead to fraying of the tendon fibers and, consequently, triggering. Indeed, in our case, debridement of the tendons rather than resection of A1 pulley resulted in a good long-term functional outcome 2 years after surgery.

Mechanical properties of the patellar tendon in adults and children

It is not currently known how the mechanical properties of human tendons change with maturation in the two sexes. To address this, the stiffness and Young's modulus of the patellar tendon were measured in men, women, boys and girls (each group, n=10). Patellar tendon force (F(pt)) was calculated from the measured joint moment during a ramped voluntary isometric knee extension contraction, the antagonist knee extensor muscle co-activation quantified from its electromyographical activity, and the patellar tendon moment arm measured from magnetic resonance images. Tendon elongation was imaged using the sagittal-plane ultrasound scans throughout the contraction. Tendon cross-sectional area was measured at rest from ultrasound scans in the transverse plane. Maximal F(pt) and tendon elongation were (mean+/-SE) 5453+/-307 N and 5+/-0.5 mm for men, 3877+/-307 N and 4.9+/-0.6 mm for women, 2017+/-170 N and 6.2+/-0.5 mm for boys and 2169+/-182 N and 5.9+/-0.7 mm for girls. In all groups, tendon stiffness and Young's modulus were examined at the level that corresponded to the maximal 30% of the weakest participant's F(pt) and stress, respectively; these were 925-1321 N and 11.5-16.5 MPa, respectively. Stiffness was 94% greater in men than boys and 84% greater in women than girls (p<0.01), with no differences between men and women, or boys and girls (men 1076+/-87 N/mm; women 1030+/-139 N/mm; boys 555+/-71 N/mm and girls 561.5+/-57.4 N/mm). Young's modulus was 99% greater in men than boys (p<0.01), and 66% greater in women than girls (p<0.05). There were no differences in modulus between men and women, or boys and girls (men 597+/-49 MPa; women 549+/-70 MPa; boys 255+/-42 MPa and girls 302+/-33 MPa). These findings indicate that the mechanical stiffness of tendon increases with maturation due to an increased Young's modulus and, in females due to a greater increase in tendon cross-sectional area than tendon length.