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Study finds functional impairment in knees treated for articular patellar fractures
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Researchers in this study found functional impairment is a common complication after treatment of patellar fractures, despite positive radiographic outcomes and surgical advancements.
“The findings of the current study suggest persistent issues in the treatment of patellar fractures that have not been solved by standard surgical and rehabilitation protocols, despite acceptable radiographic outcomes of osseous union and articular congruency,” Lionel E. Lazaro, MD, from Hospital for Special Surgery, and colleagues wrote in the study.
Lazaro and colleagues examined 35 patients with isolated unilateral patellar fractures and followed them at 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after fracture fixation, according to the abstract. All the fractures healed after fixation and the patients improved until the 6-month follow-up. However, functional impairment was present at the 12-month follow-up. Compared to the contralateral knee, the knee extensor mechanism on the surgical side had 41% reduced strength and 47% reduced power, according to the abstract.
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The researchers noted 7% of patients had surgical complications related to wound dehiscence and refracture. Further, 11 patients underwent a second surgery to remove symptomatic implants and 17 patients had patella baja observed through the tibial plateau patella angle. Daily activities caused anterior patella pain in 24 patients.
Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.
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