title: Case reports: pathologic fracture of the patella from a gouty tophus.
abstract: Fracture of the patella is a relatively common condition seen in patients with trauma. We report one patient with known gout who sustained relatively minor trauma that resulted in a patellar fracture. An intraoperative biopsy confirmed that much of the patella had been replaced with gouty tophus. Gout is a rare cause of patellar fracture, with few documented cases. Postoperative management of patients with patella fractures secondary to gout may be routine with the addition of medical management for the underlying pathologic process.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Combined Program in Orthopedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. mdprice@partners.org
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Padera
authors.forename: Mitchel B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Vrahas
mesh_terms: D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006073:Gout / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010329:Patella / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D011859:Radiography; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular