Patellar tendon rerupture in a footballer: our personal surgical technique and review of the literature

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.

Revision Patellar Tendon Repair With Anchors, Allograft Augmentation, and Suspensory Fixation

Ruptures of the patellar tendon are rare but potentially devastating injuries reported to occur most commonly in active males in their third and fourth decades of life. Repair failure rates have been reported to range between 2% and 50% based on surgical technique used. There are several inherent challenges associated with revision patellar tendon repair, including quadriceps atrophy, contracture, tissue loss, excessive scarring, and improper patella height. There remains no consensus regarding ideal revision patellar tendon repair technique. The purpose of this Technical Note is to describe our preferred method for revision patellar tendon repair using suture anchors and allograft augmentation with adjustable loop suspensory fixation. On the basis of recent studies, we have carefully chosen our fixation and augmentation methods that have shown biomechanical promise, while allowing the surgeon to carefully titrate the patellar tendon length and accommodate for some patellar tendon tissue loss.

Patellar Tendon Excision and Repair for Residual Patella Alta after Prior Failed Patellar Tendon Repair: Surgical Decision Making and Outcome

Presented in this report is a complex revision case of a patellar tendon repair preceded by excess tendon excision to correct for recurrent patella alta deformity, in a workers' compensation patient. The goal of this procedure was to alleviate this patient's pain, to preserve his ability to function in his activities of daily living, and to allow him to return to work at some capacity. On postoperative radiographs, the revision procedure appeared to have successfully corrected this patient's patella alta deformity. After an extended rehabilitation process, this patient had reached maximal medical improvement at 1-year follow-up. He displayed modest improvements in all PROs, including a clinically significant improvement in his short-form mental component score. Despite his functional capacity being still somewhat limited, this patient reported subjective satisfaction after this complicated salvage procedure.

From wheelchair to walking: First case report of post-electrical burn destruction of patellar ligament with its one-stage reconstruction and restoration of function

Electrical burn injury causing bilateral patellar ligament destruction leading to complete loss of knee extension is a very rare injury. In such situation, surgical repair or reconstruction of the patellar ligament becomes necessary to restore knee functions. Here, we present such a case of an 8-year-old boy, whose both patellar ligaments were destroyed throughout its length due to high-voltage electrical injury. His left knee joint cavity was exposed and grossly infected, but the right knee joint cavity was apparently intact. The right-sided patellar ligament was reconstructed with an ipsilateral and looped semitendinosus tendon graft and covered with a medial gastrocnemius musculocutaneous flap. The patient had an uneventful recovery, and full range of motion in the right knee joint along with good bipedal locomotion was achieved successfully.

Imaging of the patellofemoral joint

The patellofemoral (PF) joint is a complex articulation, with interplay between the osseous and soft tissue structures to maintain the balance between knee mobility and stability. Disorders of the PF joint can be a source of anterior knee pain (AKP). In this article, radiographic and magnetic resonance imaging of the PF joint are reviewed, including normal anatomy, imaging techniques, and imaging-based measurements. Common imaging findings associated with AKP are reviewed, including symptomatic normal variants, tendinopathy, apophysitis, osteoarthritis, chondromalacia patella, trochlear dysplasia, excessive lateralization of tibial tuberosity, patellar maltracking, patellar dislocation and fractures, anterior bursitis, Morel-Lavallée effusions, and fat pad edema.