Patella Fractures eMedicine Orthopedics

Description: In the 1800s, treatment of patella fractures was quite controversial. Owing to lack of adequate fixation techniques, surgical experience, and imaging, treatment most often was extension splinting. This led to poor results because of intra-articular incongruity, nonunion, and poor motion. Initial attempts at operative stabilization of these fractures yielded rates of satisfactory repair of less than 50%. Treatment methods then progressed to excision of fractured patellar fragments or of the entire patella. Despite encouraging early results, long-term follow-up revealed degenerative changes in the femoral condyles and decreased quadriceps power. With the introduction of the AO group (Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthese or Association for the Study of Osteosynthesis) in the 1950s, a new technique for fixation of these fractures was developed. The concept of the anterior tension band technique was introduced. This allowed for stable fixation, early motion, and improved rates of bony union.
Synonyms and related keywords: patellar fracture, broken patella, broken knee bone, fractured knee
Alexandra K Schwartz, MD 2006 Updated: Nov 2, 2009