Traumatic Patellar Tendon Rupture: Does Acute Surgical Treatment Matter?

Abstract

Murad Nader Jwinate, Jwinate, Mohd Kheir Abdelkarim Aolymate, Ahmad Ali Alawamleh, Mohammad Adel Alsaaideh, Mohammad Juma Al Hawawsheh, Laith Mohammad ALhusainat, Mohammad Ali Dwairi and Naser Fuad Shari*

Background: While acute patellar tendon tears are usually straightforward to identify, they can sometimes be ignored in clinical practice. This article conducted to examine both immediate and long-term results of surgical management in patients with acute patellar tendon injuries. It was hypothesized to identify if surgery would enable most individuals to recover pre-injury knee function.

Methods: In this retrospective review, 31 knees from 29 patients (27 men, 2 women; average age 36.8 ± 7.3 years, range 19–75) were analyzed. Level of injuries was 12 mid-tendon ruptures, 17 tears at the patellar end, and 2 at the tibial attachment. About 97% of repairs were augmented with additional support—using hamstring tendon autografts (17 cases), synthetic ligaments (10 cases), or metal wires (3 cases).

• Early outcomes were identified at an average of 9.1 months duration post-surgery (range 4–18 months), focusing on complications, joint range of motion, and radiological findings.
• Long-term outcomes were obtained through phone calls or interviews at an average of 8.1 years (range 19–246 months), using the Lysholm functional score and patients’ satisfaction.

Results: At the early follow-up, 27 knees were assessed, showing an average knee flexion of 125.5° ± 9.5° (range 65°– 135°) and an average extension lag of −10° (range −15° to 0°). The mean Caton-Deschamps index was 0.93 (range 0.68–1.25). For the long-term follow-up (19 knees), the average Lysholm score was 89.5 (range 61–100). About 94% of patients were either satisfied or very satisfied with their outcome. All studied patients were able to resume their previous work, and 16 resumed sports, with 7 reaching their pre-injury level.

Conclusion: Early surgical repair of acute patellar tendon rupture, the outcome is excellent, with most patients returning to pre-injury level of function and reporting high satisfaction

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