title: The chopstick-noodle twist: an easy technique of percutaneous patellar fixation in minimally displaced patellar fractures.
abstract: We report six cases of minimally displaced two-part patellar fractures with skin injury over the patella that were treated with percutaneous K wire fixation and compression applied using stainless steel (SS) wire. This technique makes it possible to perform early operative treatment in cases where unhealthy skin is not amenable to conventional tension band wiring. The technique employs two K wires inserted through the two fracture fragments under local or regional anaesthesia. They are then compressed using simple SS wire knots at the two ends - making it look like noodles at the end of two chopsticks. The fixation is subsequently augmented with a cylindrical plaster-of-Paris cast. The technique is simple, cheap and does not cause soft tissue injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Hospital for Bone and JointSurgery, Barzalla, Srinagar, Kashmir, India. drnasir@in.com
authors.forename: Nasir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Muzaffar
authors.forename: Nawaz
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Aejaz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Nissar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahmad
mesh_terms: D001864:Bone Wires; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D010329:Patella / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D011859:Radiography; D013193:Stainless Steel; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D013193:Stainless Steel