title: Judet quadricepsplasty in the treatment of posttraumatic knee rigidity: long-term outcomes of 45 cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Posttraumatic knee stiffness is a very debilitating condition. Judet's quadricepsplasty technique has been used for more than 50 years. However, few reports of quadricepsplasty results exist in the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report the results of 45 cases of posttraumatic arthrofibrosis of the knee treated with Judet's quadricepsplasty. The results of the procedure were analyzed by measuring the degrees of flexion of the operated knees at different time points (before, immediately after, and late postoperatively).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The degree of flexion increased from 33.6 degrees (range, 5–80 degrees) preoperatively to 105 degrees (range, 45–160 degrees)immediately after surgery, followed by a slight fall in the range of motion (ROM) in the late postoperative period, which reached an average of 84.8 degrees. There was no significant correlation between knee strength and the patient's gender, but there was a slight trend of lower strength with age. Although Judet's quadricepsplasty technique dates from more than 50 years ago, it still provides good outcomes in the treatment of rigid knees of various etiologies. In general, all cases showed the same pattern of a small decrease in the ROM in the late postoperative period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Judet's quadricepsplasty can increase the ROM of rigid knees. The ROM obtained with the surgery persists long term.
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vitor G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Luis Fernando
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: D'Elia
authors.forename: Luis Eduardo Passarelli
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Tirico
authors.forename: Riccardo Gomes
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Gobbi
authors.forename: Jose Ricardo
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Pecora
authors.forename: Gilberto L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Camanho
authors.forename: Fabio Janson
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Angelini
authors.forename: Marco K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Demange
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D009127:Muscle Rigidity / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome