Tibial Tubercle Fracture (Subscribe)  

Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics
- avulsion frx of tibial tuberosity along w/ a Salter Harris type-III frx of proximal tibial physis;
- need to distinguish tibial tubercle avulsion from Osgood-Schlatter disease (which has no physeal involvement)

A tibial tubercle avulsion fracture is usually an injury to the knee occurring in adolescence, during the transitional phase of physeal closure just prior to completion of growth. This fracture most often is an isolated injury related to push-off or landing while jumping as the quadriceps eccentrically contracts to support...

Tibial tuberosity fractures are infrequent fractures affecting physically active adolescents. Activities involving powerful contraction of the knee extensors, such as springing and jumping movements, can result in avulsion fractures of the tibial tuberosity apophysis. This condition should be distinguished from Osgood-Schlatter disease, a chronic apophysitis of the tibial tuberosity due...