title: Traumatic patellar tendon ruptures: a follow-up study of primary repair and a neutralization wire.
abstract: Thirty-five patients with traumatic patellar tendon ruptures treated with primary repair and with a neutralization wire were retrospectively reviewed. All the ruptures occurred in acute trauma; 12 of the patients (34%) had multiple injuries, and 19 had open wounds around the knee joints. The diagnostic clues included a high-riding patella by palpation or seen on roentgenograms, hemarthrosis, a palpable gap over the tendon, and inability of patients to extend the knee actively. Using the criteria of Siwek and Rao, at follow-up 57% of outcomes were rated as excellent; 28.6% as good; and 14.2% as unsatisfactory. None of the 35 patients had a rerupture of the tendon. We conclude that primary repair with a neutralization wire can be a treatment of choice for traumatic patellar tendon ruptures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Hsu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001864:Bone Wires; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000601:surgery*