II. Risk Factors
- Patellar Tendinopathy
- Older age
- Abnormal vascular changes
- Medications
- Fluoroquinolone use
- Prolonged Systemic Corticosteroid use
- Corticosteroid Injection
- Testosterone administration
III. Mechanism
- Forceful knee flexion against resistance
- High energy Trauma (fall from height, sports-related injury, Motor Vehicle Accident)
V. Signs
- Large Knee Effusion
- Palpable defect between tibial tubercle and inferior Patella margin
- Difficult active knee extension
VI. Differential Diagnosis
- Patellar Dislocation
- Quadriceps tendon rupture (elderly)
- Tibial tuberosity avulsion (adolescents)
VII. Imaging: Knee XRay
VIII. Imaging: Advanced
- Knee Bedside Ultrasound
- Apply linear transducer over the Patellar tendon in the sagittal plane
- Ruptured tendon will appear hypoechogenic with a separation between tendon ends
- Dynamic views may better define the tendon ends
-
Knee MRI
- Definitive study to identify extent of rupture and plan surgical repair
IX. Management
- Surgery (preferred in all full thickness tears)
- Conservative Management
X. Complications
- Persistent quadricep weakness in knee extension
- Knee Stiffness
XI. Complications: Associated with delayed surgery
- Quadriceps contracture shortens extensor mechanism
XII. References
- Benjamin (2023) Crit Dec Emerg Med 37(7): 20-1
- Hoppman and Shannon (2021) Crit Dec Emerg Med 35(11): 16-7
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Related Studies
Concepts | Injury or Poisoning (T037) |
SnomedCT | 30832001, 415748002 |
English | rupture of patellar tendon (diagnosis), rupture of patellar tendon, patellar rupture tendon, of patellar tendon rupture, patellar ruptures tendon, patellar tendon rupture, Rupture of patellar tendon, Patellar tendon rupture, Rupture of patellar tendon (disorder), Traumatic rupture of patellar tendon (disorder), Traumatic rupture of patellar tendon |
Spanish | ruptura traumática de tendón rotuliano, ruptura traumática del tendón rutuliano, ruptura traumática de tendón rotuliano (trastorno), ruptura traumática del tendón patelar, ruptura traumática del tendón rutuliano (trastorno), ruptura del tendón de la rótula, ruptura del tendón rotuliano (trastorno), ruptura del tendón rotuliano |