title: Acute traumatic extension deficit of the knee.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the events leading to acute traumatic extension deficit of the knee and the arthroscopic findings in these patients. A total of 78 consecutive patients treated in the Turku university hospital during the years 1994-1996 were included. The mean annual incidence of acute traumatic extension deficits of the knee in our study was 1.1 per 10 000 inhabitants. The single most common (33%) event causing the extension deficit was non-sports related twisting of the knee. Various sports related activities accounted for 42% of the extension deficits, and soccer was the most common sport in this group. In conclusion, acute traumatic extension deficit of the knee is usually a sign of serious intra-articular damage, and the most likely finding (in 82% of the patients in our study) is either a meniscal rupture, an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture, a patellar dislocation, or a combination of these. The lesions in these knees require prompt evaluation by an orthopaedic surgeon mainly because of the high number of bucket-handle and menisco-capsular insertion ruptures of the menisci, which are possibly suitable for repair.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. janne.sarimo@tyks.fi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sarimo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rantanen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heikkilä
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Orava
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000601:surgery; D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; D001182:Arthroscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D015984:Causality; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D031222:Patellar Dislocation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012421:Rupture / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D000070600:Tibial Meniscus Injuries